Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Druig feels guilty for leaving the rest of the Eternals.

It’s only been a few days, but his people are organized and structures have already been built.

Druig spends most of his day out in the woods but comes back to take his meals in his building.

All the solitude gives him plenty of time to regret. He doesn’t feel bad for leaving the rest of them, however, just Makkari.

She had always believed in him, in his goodness, even when the others lost faith.

Druig can feel the hurt in her gaze pierce him, more than a week later in the Amazon.

There is a path that he's taken every day they have been here, just walking for miles until he figures he should turn back before it gets dark.

It should be peaceful, his little settlement in the middle of nowhere. Instead, his robes just don’t fit quite right, the air is just a little too warm during the day, and he’s just a bit too cold at night.

He knows it’s karma. Druig should’ve never abandoned Makkari and now the universe is punishing him.

Which is why he is surprised when one of his villagers runs up to him on the path, panting, hands on his knees.

“There is a woman,” he labors, “here to see you.”

Druig nods, and his first thought is that it is Ajak, needing them to be a team again, there are more deviants to fight.

But then a pretty yellow light zips down the path from where the scout came, and Druig’s heart skips a beat.

Makkari.

The villager looks aghast. “Miss,” he says and signs, “I told you it wasn’t necessary to strain yourself.”

He looks to Druig, who is still frozen. Should he apologize, or will they pick right back up after a cracked joke?

Makkari is still conversing with the stressed man, I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you say that.

She giggles at her own joke, moving closer to Druig and laying a hand on his arm.

Druig flinches and sends out the order through his mind for the villager to leave them. The air is still too warm, and the cloth against his skin is just itchy enough to bother him.

The laughter fades from Makkari’s face as she sets her concerned gaze on his face. Druig stares forward, unwilling to glimpse her face, so overcome with guilt.

She moves in front of him, puts her soft hands on his face to make him look at her. When she pulls them away to sign, they are glistening with tears Druig hadn’t realized he’d shed.

Druig, she signs, My beautiful, beautiful Druig. What’s wrong?

He wrenches his eyes away from hers, moves away to survey the forest.

When he turns back, more tears are on his face, and Makkari’s face is further anguished.

“All of this is wrong,” he whispers, signing weakly, “It’s just… wrong.”

Makkari is determined now, always so determined to get to the bottom of things. It’s one of Druig’s favorite qualities about her.

Is it the mind control? The rainforest? The people? The other Eternals?

She hesitates.

Is it.. me?

Druig shakes his head fervently. “No, never. Makkari, it’s everything. I’m manipulating these people, but they are not happy and I don’t know what to do. And I left the others, I left you.”

He is sobbing now, and Makkari runs her fingers down his face, comforting him. “I left you. I left you. I’m so sorry, my beautiful Makkari. Beautiful, beautiful Makkari. I’ll never leave you again. Never.”

Druig pushes the words into her mind, hopes she knows that he means them. He can feel her respond there, in her thoughts.

It’s alright, Druig. I forgive you. I’m here now. I don’t blame you.

She wraps her arms around him, tucking his head into her shoulder. I’ve got you, Druig, I’m here.

Several minutes later, Druig pulls away and wipes his tears on his sleeves. They aren’t itchy anymore, almost comfortable.

Makkari takes his hand and encourages back along the path towards the camp.

You don’t have to stay here. You can let them go, come back to the Domo with me. Makkari still speaks in her head, knowing he will receive it, so that they can leave their hands together.

It makes something in Druig buzz with warmth.

“I’d like that,” he responds, grateful. Makkari has done so much for him, and all he’s done is walk away from her.

Druig knows that “his people” don’t need him. He relies on them, the power he can exert over them in the name of peace.

The best thing to do is to distance himself and free them.

He could do it from here, push into their heads and tell them they can leave, and can move on.

Druig waits, walks back with Makkari, holds her firm hand and when they enter the campsite, he calls, verbally, to the villagers.

The talk he gives will be a blur, but it doesn’t matter. No one’s eyes are glowing, and the air is just the right temperature to cool Druig’s sweaty palms, and the smile Makkari gives him in the soft evening glow is enough to power his own smiles for a lifetime.

When the speech is done, she speeds up to wrap him in a hug, and he’s ready to pick up her thoughts. I'm proud of you. She pulls back, a matching proud smile on her face.

“Thank you,” is all he says, because if he continues, the next thing to come out might be “I love you.”

Because he does. Love her.

Of course, Druig. You’d do the same for me, she signs now, probably just a habit.

She beams at him, and he gives her a small smirk, but it’s genuine. She grasps his hand again, to lead him to where the ship is parked, and Druig is starting to really like all the handholding.

No one else is in the ship, and she’s clearly made it her own, scrolls strewn about atop piles of miscellaneous objects.

It makes him curious that she only visited him, not any of the others.

“So… what do you do for fun around here, beautiful Makkari?” he signs, starting to feel a bit back to normal.

Well… her hands pause their signing in the air before swiping to the side as two animals slink into the room.

Meet George and Blue.

Druig is stunned. She has cats. They have names. They also have no fur. Actually, it seems they have a light dusting, enough to give them cute spots on their backs and little stripes on their tails.

Makkari snaps her fingers to call them and they scamper up, rubbing gently on her legs.

She scoops them both up somehow, and moves closer to Druig. He freaks out slightly, backing up to sit on the edge of the table in the middle of the room.

Makkari’s eyes twinkle with amusement at his panic but she places one of the cats in his lap anyway.

Druig’s hands automatically go around the feline, and he is surprised to find that it is actually quite soft, and it pushes into his stomach, curls up, and plops down into a little ball of warmth.

He glances up at Makkari and she peers back at him.

What do you think?

Purrs start vibrating through the cat on his lap and he quirks up the corner of his lips.

“I love it,” he says in her head and signs. “I love you, too. Just so you know.”

Makkari falters for split second and Druig’s heart stops.

But then she steps closer, picks up the cat (George? Blue?), and kisses him softly. Druig feels like every piece he’d never known he was missing just locked into place.

I love you too, he reads in her head.

Druig is just about to kiss her again when the cat that was handed to him previously jumps back onto him, mewling quietly.

Both of them laugh, but move away towards the wall where they can kiss without interruption.

And when they cuddle in bed that night, Druig will be warmed by her warmth, and he will sleep like a baby.