so darling hold my hand (I'm ready for this)

boiling water

Azalea -
Take care of yourself for me.

The truth is, Druig had started struggling only a few minutes after they'd arrived on this wretched amalgamation of dirt and rocks.

A single thought and the people that had been so ready to attack them had dropped their weapons and opened their ears, eager to listen to whatever it was they had to say.

He'd just averted the shedding of more blood, had suppressed the impeding violence and all that Ajak had given him was this look.

It was one he'd see countless more times over their millenia long stay and it had always meant the same.

Do not control their minds. Do not stop them from quenching their thirst for violence. Do not hinder them from spilling blood.

What had always been missing was the why.

Why was he not allowed to stop them, to control them, when it would take nothing more than a single thought?

He'd never gotten an answer.

Druig hadn't bothered to ask for one on that fateful night in Tenochtitlan.

"I've watched humans destroy each other when I could stop it all in a heartbeat. Do you know what that does to someone after centuries? Could our mission have been a mistake? Are we really helping these people build a better world? We're just like the soldiers down there: pawns to their leaders. Blinded by loyalty.", he'd told the people he'd always wanted to consider his family (They were now, weren't they?), gathered the no longer fighting humans, and left.

Life had been peaceful then.

Everybody had been kind and happy and considerate, and the few times they weren't, Druig had just stopped them, all with a single thought.

Life had been good.

And then they'd arrived. Had brought prophecies of terror that would befall them all at the hands of enemies they'd thought long gone.

Ajak had died and everything had started to crumble like partially cured clay.

Druig had felt a slew of emotions when he'd reunited with the members of his eternal family. Or rather, what was left of it.

Annoyance - Ikaris demanding voice and Kingos' (aswell as Karuns', though he actually didn't mind the human as much as he pretended to) stupid documentary, had determined that one rather quickly.

Amusement - Sprites constant need for banter and sarcasm had always been entertaining, especially if it was Kingo being on the other side.

Curiosity - Sersi had seemed to have ultimately freed herself of the weight of Ikaris affections and gotten a new life with someone else, someone that seemed to make her genuinely happy.

Fondness - Thena and Gilgamesh had, as hypocritical as it seemed, always been two of the people he'd liked to be around the most. Seing them, really, everyone again after so long had stirred something in him.

Longing.

Longing to bring everyone back together. Longing to hear Ajak babble about rules, see Ikaris acting high and mighty, watch Sersi turn rocks into almost everything imaginable, listen to Sprite tell fantastical stories of everyone and everything, smell whatever it was that Gilgamesh was baking again, wait for Thena to finish said baked goods, bother Kingo with stupid questions, ask Phastos about his newest project and talk with Makkari for hours.

His beautiful, beautiful Makkari.

"Miss Sersi? Miss Sersi!"

Druig snapped out of it, just in time to watch his fellow Eternal put her hands on her hips, a clearly unimpressed look on her face. She'd been babbling on and on about the food pyramid and the effects of a species going extinct, signing everything simultaneously. Makkari had looked enthralled the entire time, though Druig suspected that she'd already known all of that, given the number of books she'd devoured on the Domo.

"Sadie, what did we say about what to do when we have a question?", she asked tiredly. It seemed obvious that this scenario had happened numerous times before.

The child, Sadie, looked sheepish and raised her hand, now waiting for her teacher to call upon her. Sersi did. Of course she did, what else would she do?

"Yes, Sadie?"

"It's already five minutes after half past one, Miss Sersi.", she informed her innocently.

Makkari snickered as Sersis face fell, the Eternals head snapping up so fast as to look at the clock mounted over the doorframe that Druig feared she might've hurt her neck in the process.

"Oh shit- Everyone! Pack up and form a line of two at the door! Thank you for reminding me Sadie!"

The first exclamation had been a harsh whisper but considering the roaring laughter, some kids had still heard.

"What did she say?", Makkari asked gleefully, the childrens joy mirrored in her own face.
Arishem had done many despicable things, but the woman in front of him was not one of them.

"She cursed and told the children to line up in pairs at the door.", he told her. He looked over towards said students, most having already packed up and waiting, an eagerness about their every expression.

The fastest woman of the universe swatted at his arm to regain his attention, instantly succeeding.

"We should line up too.", she proposed and tugged on his sleeve. Her hand wandered, sliding into his almost seamlessly. Druigs face lit up as their fingers intertwined.

"We should, otherwise I'm afraid Sersi will turn us into marble too."

Makkari feigned exasperation, bumping her shoulder into his.

"What?", he laughed, returning the gesture. "Too early?"

_______________________________________

To everyone's surprise, Sersis boss hadn't uttered a single word of protest at the proposition of the other two Eternals joining the class for a few lessons. (They'd, of course, not introduced them as such, but rather as Sersis friends from college. It had become a running joke rather quickly, really.)

"They're young people that want to learn, who am I to take that opportunity away from them?", he'd murmured, not looking up from his phone.

That had been... fairly easy. Not that anyone was complaining.

So, here they were, listening to Sersi idly talk about the different artifacts displayed in gigantic show cases, inviting everyone present to look at them.

One of them in particular seemed to draw the kids in, the Eternals not far behind.

"Miss Sersi! Can you tell us about this one? Pretty please!", a boy begged the matter manipulator and jabbed his finger against the show case. Makkari crept closer, Druig in tow, and bent forward to try and catch a glimpse of the thing that had grabbed the childrens interest so thoroughly.

She gasped.

_______________________________________

This was actually supposed to be a much longer chapter, but I've decided to split it into too as I always like to have one or two chapters more written before I post one.

Also, this work is family feels, Druig being lowkey-highkey a softie and the Eternals being very nonchalant about being immortal little shmucks, so don't expect too much plot.

Again, go check out HONEYKAWA 's work aswell!