Chapter 1: till forever falls apart
Chapter Text
It's me, Gilgamesh.
The sound of his voice puts Thena in a state, her mind splintering and her eyes glazing over the second the familiar sound finds her ears. It's not possible, she tries to tell herself, he's dead. But her pent up grief had become all consuming at that point, overshadowing any grasp she may have recently found on her sanity. To be with him again, to see him again, to feel his touch again — it was worth losing herself for.
"Gilgamesh," she'd managed to choke out through a smile, her disbelief evident while tears pool at the whiteness in her eyes. It's too good to be true but she wants so badly to believe that it is anyway.
Now, she can almost see him. Her calm, strong Gilgamesh. He takes her hand and she feels like she's floating, a rare but not unwelcome change to all the times he's grounded her with his gentle grasp. This time it's less gentle, more demanding. Thena tries not to notice the difference. He's speaking to her but she can't quite make out what he's saying — the fog in her brain and her vision is thick, making everything fuzzy. She feels his finger lift to caress her cheek and immediately, everything feels wrong. Immediately, she feels the panic rise in her chest. No, no, no. This isn't right. This isn't Gilgamesh.
Then he speaks again.
“Thena,” he says. “Remember.”
And she does.
When she steps back onto the beach, she’s met with the end of the world. The head of Tiamut is emerging from shaky waters, birthing right before her eyes and it mirrors the images that have played over and over in her visions for centuries. The sight brings her peace.
She isn’t insane, her mind hasn’t been lost. All those years she’s simply been remembering a fate that she’s been destined to relive time and time again, only this time she had been gifted with the knowledge of its imminence, even if she didn’t know it.
This time, she’s ready.
As her eyelids flutter shut, Thena breathes the salty air, in and out, and she wonders which breath will be her last. If her memory serves her correctly — and in an odd twist of events, she trusts that it will — the planet will be incinerated in a matter of minutes, and the ground will crack open, giving way to the fiery depths of Earth’s core. It almost can’t come soon enough. She’s done her job here, on this planet with these people. She’s protected them, defended them from the deviants as was her duty as the Goddess of War. She’s helped her family as much as she could, and she’s had her revenge on the being that ripped half of her soul apart. Thena is ready now to be done with all of this, to go on and to meet him again.
Memories of Gilgamesh dance behind her closed eyelids, reminders of the thousands of years they've spent together — some small and seemingly meaningless, some heartbreakingly heavy. All of them mean the world to her. They've had so much time together, and yet each and every second spent with him somehow seems like barely enough. Thena wanted eternity with him, it's what they were promised, and when their lifetime together was cut short her livelihood shattered.
All she has now are the memories. It's ironic, when she's spent the last five hundred years fighting with her own mind to remember. As if her spell has been broken, they all flood to her at once. Thena clings to them, letting herself get caught up in these moments with her love, her partner, her soulmate. Whatever is happening in the world no longer matters to her, not when she has this.
Something shifts beneath her, and while she once would have gone into battle mode at even the slightest disturbance, Thena uncharacteristically makes no effort to keep herself steady. Her wide eyes remain shut, resigned to her fate. The little voice in the back of her mind that she's come to know so well whispers to her. It's time, the voice says.
He's waiting.
Notes:
so obviously this first chapter is pretty small and thena centric (i have literally been itching to write a lil somethin about this moment on the beach after killing kro since i saw it) but i just wanted to establish her thinking back on their lil memories before actually delving into those moments (:
tbh this is pretty much just going to be a collection of drabbles + maybe things that are a little longer so i can cry ab my cutie parents who are in love. yes they are married ur honor no further questions.
title comes from my lover by birdtalker, a truly gilthena anthem <3 and chapter title comes from till forever falls apart by ashe & finneas.
Chapter 2: only been here for a moment, but i know i want you
Summary:
Upon their first meeting, taking Gilgamesh's hand comes as natural to Thena as breathing.
Chapter Text
When they all come to, their gaze falls to the middle of the room, on the foreboding figure looming over their newly conscious bodies.
Leader, her mind supplies. God. Arishem.
Thena watches the crimson figure with cold disinterest, her legs carrying her up from where she’s seated and back to the wall of the ship, in sync with the others around her. It’s almost robotic, the moves they make in tandem. Somehow she feels as though she’s done this dance a million times before.
Maybe she has. Thena doesn’t remember much about life before this very moment, about life on Olympia. The distant, almost detached memories click in place one by one as her armor wraps around her, putting her in a trance. They are hazy at best, not quite decipherable but enough to supply her with the basics of her being. Some things stand out that are absolutely certain — she is the greatest warrior from the planet Olympia, and she has come to this planet prepared for battle.
Battle. The phrase echos through her mind, weaving through her consciousness and supplying her with examples of her own experience with it. She sees herself slaying monsters and demons alike, soaring through the air and piercing flesh. She is skilled, quick and efficient. It is not her own ego telling her that she is excellent in a fight, it’s simply a truth conveyed clearly from her past actions. The memories warm her, calming her almost as she watches herself win time and time again in her own mind’s eye — but then for a fraction of a second, she’s transported somewhere else. A new memory that feels almost too real invades her consciousness, like she’s living it instead of watching from an outside perspective as she'd done with the others. Cries of terror sound from a distance, she wields a weapon that is of no use in the battle she’s been transported to now, not when her opponent is fiery red surrounding her.
The scene is fleeting, over almost as soon as it comes.
One blink and Thena is back to her new reality, the imposing dark walls of the ship enclosing her in this new place she’s supposed to call home. From a window on the other side of the room, she watches their quick descent to Earth. To her right, she feels a presence — a man, one much larger than her in stature, though she doubts he’s all that much stronger. If she needed to, Thena’s sure she could take him down in minutes, but as he closes the distance between them and extends an arm towards her, something tells her he isn’t a threat.
“Gilgamesh,” the man offers his name along with his hand. She places her own palm in his immediately, almost like she’d been drawn to it.
“Thena.”
He smiles then, warmth radiating from his very being. He still hasn’t let go of her hand. “Thena,” he repeats, the sound flowing naturally from him as if he’s said it a thousand times before — and right away she wants to hear it again, and again, and again. It’s the sweetest sound she’s ever heard.
They descend to Earth on gold platforms, small disks made to carry them from the Domo by a man on their team called Phastos. He is brilliant, simply put — already thinking of ways to make their transition to this new planet easier.
It seems they all have a different cross to bear.
Some of them are tasked with the burden of advancement, helping the humans they are protecting flourish and grow. The rest of them, like Thena, have been called on to fight the creatures — Deviants, Ajak called them — that have invaded the planet. Those five of them are sent to Earth first.
One by one, their platforms hover close enough to the ground for them to step down. Thena’s is last, with Gilgamesh’s touching down only a minute before hers. He wastes no time stepping from his platform and turning to greet Thena at her own.
He holds his hand out to her and she places her hand in his once again, allowing him to guide her off of the platform onto the solid ground of Earth. She should loathe the gesture — Thena is self-sufficient, she doesn’t need a man’s help in anything she does — but for some reason she knows Gilgamesh’s offer is pure and genuine. And she’s thankful for the weight of his steady palm beneath hers, grounding her perfectly just before they are thrust into battle.
As they begin to slaughter each Deviant that comes their way, Gilgamesh never strays too far from her side.
The two of them fight perfectly together, a consistent ebb and flow of power as they seamlessly anticipate the other’s needs. It feels as if they are somehow linked, intuitively fighting almost as one. Thena can’t recall if she’s ever had a partner in combat — and something inside of her tells her she usually prefers to work alone — but if this is what fighting in tandem is supposed to be like, she certainly doesn’t mind it.
When Gilgamesh lifts her effortlessly into the air, allowing her to land the final blow, it’s confirmation enough that she’d never like to fight alone again if she can help it.
The relief she feels is instantaneous, the thrill of combat simmering into a low satisfaction resting in her chest. She leaps from the Deviant gracefully, landing firmly on her feet as she takes in their handiwork. And of course, right there is Gilgamesh — ready to offer his hand once again, to lead her away from the destruction they’ve made. This time when she takes his hand in hers, Thena offers him a smile back.
They’ve known each other mere hours but by now, it feels practiced. By now, it feels like home.
Notes:
FINALLY i have been given a break from the hell that is school and finally i'm able to update this with a drabble i've been literally BURSTING AT THE SEAMS TO WRITE. i refused to believe that their little hand hold during their first scene was the first time they ever held hands so pls have this first meeting mess i've made!!
i have the entire week off of school this week so i'm hoping to write a few more drabbles/updates for this lil collection. i have a pretty good list going of things i want to write but if anyone would like anything specific, pls let me know! <3
title is from i'm with you by vance joy, which is literally gilthena's first meeting in song form thank u.
Chapter 3: cut through all the noise
Summary:
A few centuries into solitude, Thena gives Gilgamesh a haircut.
Chapter Text
“Thena,” Gilgamesh, the great, strong and powerful, whines almost petulantly in protest as little hairs fall onto his nose and eyelashes. He makes an effort to blow them away with a puff of breath, wiggling slightly as his wife continues her work on the top of his head with a pair of golden cosmic scissors. There are a million and one discomforts Gilgamesh would put himself through just for Thena’s sake, just to make her happy. Letting tiny pieces of freshly cut hair fall into his eyes is apparently not one of them.
“You are not sitting still.” Thena doesn’t miss the way he scrunches his nose at her scolding, very obviously not thrilled with her handiwork. Honestly, the way he can sometimes act like such a child baffles her.
“S’because you’re going to blind me,” he grumbles.
“Oh, stop. I’m almost finished with the front.”
A huff escapes him, his large arms crossing dramatically over his chest and Thena lets out a chuckle of her own. He is mostly joking and she knows it, behind his little display is the hint of a smile but he keeps up the charade just so he can hear her laughter fill their small home — but there’s truth to how much he dislikes getting hair in his eyes, so Thena tries to be quick.
Eventually she moves on, snipping meticulously around the sides of his head and brushing as much stray hair away as she can. She works quietly as his eyes fall closed, the comfortable silence lulling Gil into a trance as she moves from one side to the other, and then to the back. This part, he enjoys. When Thena runs her fingers through his hair, letting her nails scrape along his scalp as she separates the short strands so she can cut them close — that is enough to put him to sleep.
“Finished.”
The declaration is soft and low, her free hand moves to squeeze his shoulder as the scissors she holds between her other fingers seem to vanish into thin air. She reaches for her handheld mirror sitting on a nearby table, holding it up to show him her work. “What do you think?”
The sides are slightly uneven, some cuts choppier than the others thanks to Thena’s slightly trembling fingers. She’s been doing exceedingly well lately but the effects of her illness always linger, ready to remind her it is just a stones throw away within her. The first time he’d asked her to give his hair a trim, she’d vehemently denied the request, claiming that she didn’t trust herself in such close quarters with him wielding even the smallest of weapons. But after some time and gentle coaxing (and some very long hair on him that she clearly wasn’t fond of, even if she never said so) he’d finally gotten her to agree to it. Now, it’s become a ritual every few weeks for them — one Gil looks forward to, if only because it showcases how far Thena has managed to come.
“Looks great, as usual. ‘Course, that’s because I’ve got the best hairdresser around,” he beams at her and she smiles back at him, easing herself onto his lap in a practiced move. “What do you think?”
Thena takes a moment to scrutinize her own work, fingers running through his hair as she pretends to thoroughly inspect it for flaws. The truth is, she knows she isn’t going to give him any kind of incredible haircut any time soon, but her current skills get the job done, and she thinks he looks wonderful no matter what, anyway.
“Handsome,” she declares, with all the finality in the world. He chuckles.
“Oh yeah? And if I decide I want to grow it long again?”
This time, it’s Thena’s nose that scrunches up in distaste — only for a moment before she remembers herself, but Gil catches it anyway and has to hold back a laugh. Even so, she barely hesitates. “Still handsome.”
His booming laughter is swallowed by her kisses when she leans in close, putting an end to his teasing once and for all.
Notes:
i don't have much to say except thena using her deadly powers to conjure up some small lil scissors so she can snip snip her big strong husband's unruly hair is very important to me thank u!!! also yes i've decided they settled in a lil secluded cottage in england for a while no i wont b taking any questions
this drabble is dedicated to my pal agentromanoff06 aka michaela (who i would tag somehow but i do not know how bc i don't know how ao3 works tbh) who requested this from me like a MONTH AGO SORRY BESTIE but i've been freed from hell to bring u a gift <3
chapter title song is from the anchor by bastille (: get it..... CUT through all the noise... haircuts......
Chapter 4: honey, it's alright
Summary:
After a particularly bad bout of Mahd Wy'ry, Thena and Gilgamesh share a quiet moment.
Chapter Text
The house is quiet.
It always is after, no matter the magnitude of the fight that ensued — no matter how long the episode had lasted.
This particular incident had been brutal, Thena’s eyes had remained glazed over for days on end, flickering between reality and the hell her mind would create for her. Exhaustion made a home in her bones not long after the Mahd Wy’ry began and while an untrained eye would see her movements as sharp and precise as always, Gilgamesh could see them for what they were — erratic, sluggish and aimless. It made the fight she gave him easy enough to keep at bay, but his heart ached with every move she made, because underneath the film of white he could see his Thena and how frightened she was, how tired she was — how badly she wanted the pain to end.
When she finally comes to, guilt consumes her as it often does. She curls up in their bed for hours, silent tears escaping her as she clings desperately to reality and hopes it sticks this time. Gil is never too far away, hovering near the doorway and in the hall as he pretends to clean or organize without disturbing Thena’s peace. When she wants him, he will know.
Eventually, her quiet sobs settle down and her breathing steadies, and Gilgamesh is there immediately to help ground her.
She’s still covered by the quilt they keep as a comforter but she feels his presence as soon as he enters the room, and it’s confirmed when the bed dips gently on his side. Thena is almost too afraid to come out from her cocoon to look at him and assess the damage she’s done, damage he takes in stride and doesn’t fault her for, but she owes him that much. She owes her sweet Gilgamesh the world, really, but all she can give him is an apology and an endless amount of love.
Somehow, that always seems to be more than enough for him.
He never rushes her, simply lays a solid and steady hand on her shoulder blade and rubs soothing circles into her skin until she’s ready to face him. After a few moments Thena finds her courage and turns slowly to face him, the hand he had resting on her shoulder moving instinctively to her cheek and then through her soft, white blonde hair. Sunlight litters throughout the room behind him, casting a golden glow over his large form and Thena allows herself to bask in his warmth for a moment before facing her reality, however selfish that may be. It’d be impossible not to, though — she thinks he must be the warmest, most welcoming person she’s ever been in the presence of and she never, ever wants to let that go.
But her basking can’t last for too long, not when under the glow of the sunlight are cuts and bruises inflicted on him by her own golden weapons. An onslaught of emotion threatens to overtake her again — no matter how many times she sees him this way, it will never get easier — and her fingers move to gently trace the length of one of his deeper cuts as her throat burns with unshed tears. She looks at him hopelessly, a thousand apologies stuck in her throat as her mouth opens and no sound comes out — but Gilgamesh only shakes his head.
“It’s alright, Thena,” he promises her, a promise that she will never believe but desperately needs to hear. Her eyes are wide and distraught as his fingers continue running through her hair, soothing her worries while his forehead comes to rest against hers. “We’re alright.” Those words are difficult to accept, even when he says them so earnestly she fears she might cry again. Thena will always have this disease and he will always be on the receiving end of it, no matter how many times she begs him not to be.
But she simply nods, letting Gil’s reassurances ground her and his steadfast belief in their love keep her somewhat sane — because if Thena knows one thing is true, it’s that she will always be alright as long as she is with him.
Notes:
this is such a short little chapter, but i very badly want to get back into writing these two and i thought i'd force myself to put something out and dip my toes back in!! gil and thena and their soft, quiet moments in the aftermath of a mahd wy'ry attack will always make me weep <3
ghcststories on Chapter 1 Thu 20 Jan 2022 03:52AM UTC
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