Amore {Druig}

Chapter 11

The pair broke into a fit of laughter as Art climbed off Druig, offering her hand to him. If you pull me down, I swear I will hit you so hard you'll see Ikaris be a nice person. "

Artemis's pov

The village

As we visited the village, I strolled next to Druig. We looked around at the large temples, each devoted to a different deity or goddess. I was dressed in a sage green linen tunic with gold pins to hold it in place. I bought the material from the agora, but it was too expensive. So naturally, I begged Sersi to convert pebbles into money for me.

"Where are you taking me, Angel?" From beside me, Druig asked.

"The Agora!" I replied simply.

"But isn't it incredibly expensive?" Druig inquired.

"Well, D, if you knew me at all, you'd know I was on my hands and knees begging for money from Sersi." I pulled out a bag of coins from my pocket.

Druig expressed his disbelief "un-fucking-believable."

I just shrugged before grabbing his hand and leading him to the market. We hurried through the masses, trying not to burst out laughing when we ran into someone. We rounded the corner, but I stopped immediately.

"Why'd you stop love? Is everything ok?" Druig questioned.

I just made a gesture towards the enormous, incomplete statue in front of us.

Druig could only mutter "Oh" before laughing.

I elbowed his side. "It's not funny, asshole!"

"What?" Druig responded smugly. "The Greeks are building another statue to worship you."

I stayed silent, eyeing the statue in front of us.

Druig praised me while kneeling in front of me. "Oh, great Artemis, Goddess of Hunting."

I put my hand over my face to suppress my giggles. Why am I friends with this idiot? "As much as I love to see you on your knees for me, we're going to miss the market".

He raised his hands in defence, "Ok, let's go, my beautiful goddess."

It was these small moments with Druig that made me value our friendship even more. When I'm upset, he always makes me laugh, and if I'm hurt, he's always there holding my hand. I'm not sure how I'd live without him.

The Domo

Druig and I walked Phastos's lab, carrying a bag of what we had bought. He playfully shoved me into the wall and walked away smirking.

"Dickhead!" I whispered. I snuck behind him Druig and sprain on his back , shooing vines out of my hands and binding his together. I balanced myself by wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

He grumbled as he tried to shake me off "You're so heavy, get off."

"Nope."

Our bickering was abruptly stopped by a huge cough. Faced with the entire team we both looked up "Shit" we whispered at the same time.

"If you two don't mind," Ikaris said angrily "we are trying got to have a meeting."

I jumped off his back, clasping my hands behind my back, "Yea well Icky."

"Artemis, dear, please do not start an argument. Remember your manners." Ajak commented.

"Sorry, Ajak," I said while looking down.

"And you," she turned to Druig, "I expected more."

Ajak addressed the rest of the team, "Now moving on, Sersi, where are we with the development of the infrastructure?"

I hurried over to Makkari , trying to hide my embarrasnt from her. She tapped me on the shoulder and drew my attention to her. "What was that" she signed.

"What was what?" I questioned.

"That with Druig, you made him laugh. He never laughs," she replied.

"We just went to the village. It was nothing, Kari, "I dismissed.

Makkari kept pestering. "It didn't look like nothing."

"If no one has anything else to add, you are all dismissed," and with that, Ajak sauntered out of the room towards her quarters.

I looked around the room as most of the fighters left including Sersi. I glanced around the room. Druig's gaze captured mine but I quickly averted my gaze focusing on Sprite who had caught my focus.

"A little birdie told me a new statue was being built to honour a certain someone here, "she mused."

"Don't start short stack" I muttered, hiding my face in the wall.

She laughed at my antics, creating an illusion of my stature covering the Arishem one, "Oh great Artemis, what would we do without you watching over us?"

I blindly threw a sharp thorn at Sprite, which fortunately landed near her head. Sprite's illusions vanished. Her laugh echoed as she turned invisible. That left Makkari, Druig, Phastos, and I as the only ones left in the lab. Druig was sat on the countertop with his wrist still bound together, watching the scene. Makkari was trying to peel me away from the wall, but I surrounded myself with a large wall of flowers. I am so pissed off right now.

"Phastos" Makkari signed, "Help me out please".

"Why do I have to?"

"Because she's your sister and she's pissing me off now".

Phastos quickly made a cosmic device temporarily disabling my powers. The device slipped through the cracks of the barrier, latching around my wrists. Around me, the flowers immediately withered. I looked up, my eyes widening when I realised I couldn't shoot a vine at Phastos.

"You are so dead when I am loose," I threatened.

Phastos dismissed, "Uh-huh." He raised his hands, forcing me onto the floor.

"Oh fuck off"

"Have fun, Artie," Phastos said as he walked out of the room. I struggled in my restraints.

"Makkari, please help me," I pleaded with a fake smile.

She shook her head, "As Phastos said, have fun," she signed and sped out of the room.

That once more left me and Druig alone. He swiftly jumped off the counter, walking towards me. "I don't suppose you'll let me loose."

"For the right price," he bargained.

"Name it!" I pressed.

"You have to go on a date with me," he replied with a smirk.

Without skipping a beat, I replied, "Deal".