𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 - 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙜 [COMPLETE]

e i g h t

CHAPTER EIGHT:

"moving forward"

SHE MISSED DRUIG. She missed his endless teasing, his signature smirk; she even missed eating dinner with him. But she couldn't bring herself to completely regret her decision. Sure, she had doubts. Who didn't? But she was sure this was where she was supposed to be– beside Ikaris.

At first it was hard. She constantly looked for Druig in the Domo and at parties. She would turn to tell him something and he wouldn't be there. She would make jokes that only he would understand. It pained her, but that pain lessened over time.

Since the night that they had kissed, Ikaris and Hera had been together for six months. Six months was nothing in the span of their eternal lives– but it felt like everything. Ikaris was the perfect boyfriend– kind, caring, attentive, loving. Hera had never foreseen herself being friends with him, much less lovers, but she was pleasantly surprised.

He was trying for her, and that only made her love him more. The other Eternals were surprised to seem them together, but they quickly came to adore their relationship.

"They're meant for each other," Kingo said to Sersi one night. The Eternals were at another party, music loud and laughter louder. Kingo watched as Hera pulled a hesitant Ikaris onto the dance floor, her features lighting up in joy as she got him to his feet. He stumbled and they both laughed, Hera righting him with her hands on his shoulders.

"They are," Sersi responded with a proud smile. Although things hadn't worked out with her and Ikaris, she held no grudges. She was happy to see two of her favorite people get along and fall in love. Their joy was infectious.

Well, mostly infectious. The only person it couldn't touch was Druig. He sat off in a corner, eyes trained on Hera. He missed her, but he would never admit it. He stood by what he had said– and he would until she came back to him.

"How long is this going to go on?" Makkari asked him as she took the vacant seat beside him. Druig shrugged, eyes never leaving Hera as she spun around the dance floor, a clumsy Ikaris in tow. You would think the guy would be a good dancer.

The others had noticed Druig and Hera's sudden shift in dynamic, but no one had said anything. They talked about it amongst themselves, never bringing it up to the involved parties.

"Bet you Druig's so upset because he's in love with Hera," Sprite whispered to Kingo during a meeting in the Domo once, her eyes flitting between the former best friends, now on opposite sides of the room. "Oh, he totally is," Kingo whispered back. "He sucks at hiding things. His eyes haven't left her since he came in here."

Sprite snickered, a hand covering her mouth. "He's a lovesick puppy. It's disgusting, really." Kingo shook his head. "It's the perfect romance trope."

Makkari just shook her head at Druig, disappointment on her face. He had told her what had happened, of course. She had chastised him for letting her go, for letting their friendship end like that.

"She made her choice," he told her, a sigh leaving his lips as he slumped in his seat. "I'm not going back on my word."

"Your word is stupid." Makkari told him, eyes narrowed and chin raised. Druig mimicked her expression, his gaze unwavering.

"You two are going to waste centuries hating each other. Just apologize. She misses you too, you know."

Druig shook his head, watching as Ikaris dipped Hera and leaned in for a gentle kiss, both of them smiling. "I don't hate her," he told the woman beside him, face finally turning to face her. "I just don't want her to get hurt."

"You're hurting her, Druig." Makkari responded quickly.

"No more than he will."

"You are dramatic. No wonder Kingo told the humans your name was 'dark and gloomy'."

"He told them what?" Druig sat up, mouth slightly agape. Makkari gave him a mischievous nod, a smirk curling her lips.

"Kingo, you're a dead man!" Druig yelled out, standing from his seat and searching the crowd for his fellow Eternal.

—

Years passed, empires fell and new ones flourished, humans lived and died, Deviants dwindled. But still Hera and Ikaris remained together, their love still strong.

No relationship was perfect— they would argue and fight occasionally. Hera always thought of Druig then, wishing she could confide in him like she used to. But she couldn't, she reminded herself. So she went to Sersi, or Makkari. It was not the same.

The couple always worked through it, however. Ikaris could never stay upset with her for long, which balanced out Hera's talent for holding grudges. They were in each other's arms again by the end of the week, at most.

So when the pair got married, it wasn't a surprise. They truly loved each other, it was evident in the way they spoke of one another; how they looked at each other; how they always protected each other.

It was a beautiful ceremony– Druig could admit that much. He thought Hera looked absolutely stunning. There were flowers in her hair and around her neck. Her outfit was a gorgeous shade of yellow– resembling her suit– which made her look like the sun.

The nine other Eternals gathered nearby, holding onto each other with big grins– minus Druig, who had an unreadable expression on his face. Ajak had tears in her eyes, hands clasped together in front of her. Makkari had a dazzling smile on her lips. Even Thena smiled.

When they kissed, the others cheered. Hera smiled the entire night, too focused on her new marriage and her own joy to think of the man she had left behind.

Druig, on the other hand, was consumed by her. He stood off to the side, leaning against a wall as he watched the festivities. His eyes trailed Hera, and he wished it was him up there with her. He longed to talk to her again. They had spoken the bare minimum since their fight so long ago.

He wanted to stay up with her in his room on the Domo, the two of them talking about life and whatever else was on their minds. Eventually she would fall silent, succumbing to sleep, and he would toss a blanket over her, brushing strands of hair from her face.

He just wanted that– he wanted her. He envied what she had with Ikaris. He wanted to be the one spinning her around the dance floor. He wanted to be the one to help her up during battle. He wanted to be the one who held her hand.

Druig left the party early, returning to the Domo and welcoming the silence. The others wouldn't be back until much later.

He went to bed that night– like so many other nights– thinking of her.