We're almost at the end. One chapter left after this.

Turns out, neither of them (or both of them) win that part of the bet.

For her part, Sersi doesn't mean to tell the others. She doesn't even tell Ikaris which is a feat for her since they share everything since getting married. But upon accidently telling the others, she and everyone else, finds out that she's not the only one to know the truth either.

They're all sitting around for lack of anything better to do. It's a miracle they have the time but also what else are they supposed to do now that the Deviants are slowly dwindling in numbers? It's Ajak that comes searching for Makkari first.

"Have any of you seen Makkari?" she asks. "It's her turn to patrol today."

Everyone murmurs their dissent. No one has seen the speedster all day.

Ajak sighs in resignation. "Druig then? If Makkari isn't here then I'll have to send him. It's his turn next anyway. They can trade places."

That's when everyone stops what they're doing as if each struck by a sudden realization.

"He's been gone as long as Makkari," Thena observes.

"That explains it," Phastos huffs. His expression doesn't change but the way he shifts would suggest he knows more than he lets on if anyone were looking. "Must have gone playing hide and seek again."

Sersi smiles at the realization of what Druig and Makkari's games over the centuries really are. They're dates because it's the way the two spend the most time alone together. "They're so cute," she gushes before she can stop herself and everyone's eyes turn towards her.

Sersi winces at the realization of what she's said. "Oops. I forgot everyone didn't know about that…" she mumbles.

"Know about what?" Kingo stands up all of a sudden. Everyone's looking at Sersi and each other suspiciously now. "Do you know something?"

"Do you know something?" Sersi asks back, now defensive.

Gilgamesh and Thena exchange glances and Ajak seeing the situation might escalate steps forward.

"I know something," she offers placatingly. "Sersi, what do you know that you think the others don't?"

"It's possible we might know it too," Thena offers, wondering if it's now they all reveal the truth they've been pretending to be unaware of.

"That Druig and Makkari are married?" Phastos finally says, unable to stand the suspicious way everyone's looking at each other as if they're in a bad crime fiction story. Its quite comical at this point.

"Wait. You KNOW?" Sersi shrieks.

"Of course, I know!" Phastos huffs. "I saw the pictures."

"I saw the rings," Ajak adds.

"We know too." Gilgamesh says. "It was by accident but I saw it with my own eyes."

"Wait so you're telling me I wasn't hearing things cuz of heatstroke!" Kingo shouts above the din.

The sitting room devolves into a noisy hullabaloo as everyone points fingers at each other, talking over each other to figure out who knows what and since when. Somewhere deep in the Caribbean, both Druig and Makkari simultaneously sneeze.

There's so much noise nobody notices when Sprite slips in and then out. She'd come to see if Ajak had found Makkari yet and walked into a verbal Mexican standoff where everyone clearly knew something but was asking each other instead. She feels completely out of the loop and is about to ask "What does everyone know?" when Phastos blurts out the truth and Sersi and the rest confirm it.

Sprite doesn't know if she's more shocked that Druig and Makkari are married or that nobody had told her. But clearly by the looks of things, everyone had found out on their own otherwise they wouldn't currently be arguing over who found out when.

"They told me themselves!" Sersi says loudly and almost smugly. "It's been less than a week."

"She told Gilgamesh by accident centuries ago," Thena's level voice cuts through.

"It has been quite a while since Makkari got hurt as well," Ajak contemplates. "She's only ever once got hurt that badly in the leg."

"It was before that," Gilgamesh adds. They all remember when Makkari's leg got hurt since Druig had pampered her for a week despite the injury healing in less than a day.

"I've known since before that too!" Kingo almost whines. "I thought I imagined it!"

Sprite realizes one person isn't present among this chaotic family meeting. It's also the one person who wouldn't have let this matter stay a secret which is what leads her to the realization that Ikaris doesn't know. Sersi hasn't told him. For a spiteful moment Sprite disdains the matter manipulator. What kind of woman keeps such important information from her husband? But then she registers the opportunity for what it is. Ikaris doesn't know! Sprite can tell him!

So she disappears unnoticed from the family room, on the hunt for Ikaris who she luckily finds quite easily. He's out flying around behind the castle, clearly doing a makeshift patrol until Ajak can find Makkari, always on attention to fulfill their mission. He's easily hidden by the tree line from any curious humans but comes back down the moment Sprite calls up to him.

She enjoys the little flutter in her stomach that comes from knowing all his attention is on her. That she has something for him his wife failed to give even if it's just a fact about their two elusive teammates.

"What's wrong, Spite?" Ikaris asks, ever dutiful.

"Nothing's wrong," Sprite starts before frowning. "Everyone's just arguing about something in the family room. I came to ask if you knew."

Sprite knows he doesn't know so she delights in his confusion and concern.

"I didn't. What are they arguing about? Did something happen?"

"So that means you didn't know?" Sprite confirms. Ikaris is about to snap at her for making him repeat himself but she continues before he can, "that Druig and Makkari are married."

Ikaris stops, his mouth open in shock.

"What?" he whispers uncomprehendingly.

"Everyone else knows. Even Sersi," Sprite says, unable to resist the jibe. "It seems we were the only ones kept out of the loop."

She knows she's laying it on a bit thick. She also knows literally nothing will come of her scheming. Ikaris will not see her as anything more than he already does, a particularly crabby younger sister, but opportunities to soothe the bitterness that builds in her heart are rare to come along and so she takes what she can get when she can get it.

Ikaris falls for her words hook line and sinker. With a scowl he takes off towards the Domo, intent on getting answers. Sprite follows, ready to revel in the chaos that will inevitably come from Ikaris' temper tantrum.

"What is going on!" Ikaris growls the moment he marches into the sitting room. The others are still talking loudly over each other, minds still somehow blown that Makkari and Druig have a life of their own. "What's this about Druig and Makkari! Where are they?"

"Ikaris…" Ajak starts in an attempt to pacify him. The man in question cuts her off.

"Did you know?" he demands reproachfully. It's no secret Ikaris is Ajak's favorite. She keeps him close and tells him most everything as her lieutenant. This was one of the only things she's kept a secret from him.

"I did." She confirms. "It wasn't my place to tell anyone else."

"Sersi?" Ikaris asks.

Sersi looks away before moving closer to soothe her husband. "I only found out a week ago. I was going to tell you but I needed to get their permission."

"Permission? What for? Why didn't they tell any of us! It's the least they could have done for us as their family!"

"They must have had their reasons," Thena speaks up, her words reposeful. She has a frown on her face that shows she doesn't disagree with Ikaris but doesn't agree with him either.

"When did they even get married? How long have they been hiding this!"

"At least 8 centuries," Kingo puts in matter of factly, ignoring the glare the others send him to keep his mouth shut at least until they can mollify the sun Eternal. "That's how far we've narrowed it down. Now we're trying to figure out if me or Gilgamesh found out first."

Ikaris looks like his head is about to blow and he's about to find Druig and Makkari himself to demand answers.

"Phastos didn't you see their pictures?" Thena points out, giving up on the mission to pacify Ikaris. "Would the exact date and time of their marriage not be on it?"

"I was a little preoccupied with the pictures more than the date," the inventor replies drily.

"But we can still check, right?" Sprite asks.

"Makkari takes her camera everywhere."

"Not today," Kingo pipes up. "I saw her leaving the castle. She didn't have it. Unless she came back for it, of course."

Everyone turns to look out the door down the hall to where the bedrooms are.

"We cannot break into their room!" Sersi intones firmly. She's appalled by the idea of anyone stepping into her and Ikaris' room. She knows Makkari, and Druig even more so, would detest the idea of anyone sneaking into theirs while they're gone. "They'll be back in a few hours. We can ask them then!"

"They should have told us to begin with!" Ikaris disagrees, tone surly.

Everyone turns to look at Ajak who's conflicted.

"It's their private quarters." Ikaris glares at her. "But they did hold out for so long…"

And that's how Druig and Makkari return to find the rest of the Eternals all gathered in Makkari's room with the place considerably messier than how they left it this morning.

"What is going on!" Druig shouts as Makkari signs along. He looks furious and she's more confused than angry but her displeasure is evident as well.

"That's what we'd like to know!" Ikaris bursts, getting in Druig's face.

Makkari quickly places herself between her husband and the golden boy, certain Druig won't wait for an explanation if Ikaris continues to rankle him so. The fact that their family invaded her room is upsetting to her too but more so her husband. They both share each other's rooms, have since they got married, and Druig values his space more than anything especially among the other Eternals who prefer treating him like an outsider often anyway. Ikaris coming into one of Druig's only sanctuaries without permission and acting out as if he owns the place will only lead to tears if their lieutenant continues on this line of action.

'What's this about!' Makkari signs firmly, glaring up at him. She turns to everyone else. 'Why are you in our room?'

"Our room?" Sprite sputters. "So it's true?"

"You just saw the pictures!" Gil points out to her. "Of course, it's true."

And that's when Druig and Makkari's eyes fall to the camera which is currently in Kingo's hands as he flips through the saved pictures with morbid fascination.

"I can't believe I wasn't going crazy!" he exclaims. Then he looks up with a pout. "How could you not invite me to your wedding?" He complains. "I thought we were best friends!"

The married couple in question share a glance.

"Explanation!" Ikaris demands and Druig's nostrils flare in anger.

"What's there to explain when you already broke into our room?" He sneers, signing along for Makkari's benefit.

Sensing the situation might get ugly, Sersi steps forward and pulls her husband away, glancing at Ajak to beg her to deal with this. They all want answers but they know if they get on Druig's wrong side they won't get any and Makkari won't do what makes her husband unhappy especially if they're the cause. The two have always been a pair and Makkari has historically become non-complacent with the others if they ever hurt Druig in her own silent rebellion.

"Congratulations," Thena says, before Ajak has a chance to speak. Her smile is genuine and her eyes hold warmth as she looks between Druig and Makkari, signing along her words. "We've known for a long time, Gil and I. We didn't think you'd want to reveal it so we didn't say anything. Since it's out now, it seems the first thing in order is a congratulations."

It seems that's the wisest course of action to take. Makkari smiles and Druig nods, posture loosening.

"Congratulations." Sersi follows Thena's lead. "I didn't get to say it when you told me but I really am so happy for you." She feels the sting of embarrassment that they were all so caught up in themselves they didn't realize the first thing they owed the married couple was well wishes. How lucky they are for Thena and her level head for prioritizing what is important.

'Thank you,' the couple sign simultaneously.

"You two," Gil says and signs next with a huge smile, "I always suspected something was there. Never would have expected you to get married behind our backs though it seems to have been working well."

"Why did you keep it a secret?" Ajak finally blurts out. She seems to realize her error because she amends, "I'm so happy for you dears but I will say it came as a shock to find out."

Druig and Makkari look at each other and shrug.

'You never asked,' Makkari signs.

"You never invited us!" Kingo complains again.

"Did you even know we were together?" Druig counters. It's not just meant for Kingo but everyone.

"It's not like you told anyone that either!" Ikaris growls.

"Yeah," Sprite agrees. "How were we supposed to know?"

"We never hid it," Druig smirks this time, his glee at having kept a secret from the golden boy for so long evident. "In all our centuries, you never noticing me romancing Makkari is not my problem. I made no secret of it."

Makkari grins, her cheeks heating up, and playfully bumps into him before signing, 'Neither did I. We were always so obvious. It's a miracle you didn't know.'

"I suppose we did stand to be more observant," Phastos agrees.

"Ya think?" Druig is sarcastic now and Makkari gently shoves him again. Her 'be nice' goes unsaid but he understands her loud and clear.

"I still can't believe I missed your wedding!"

"We all missed their wedding, Kingo." Sprite rolls her eyes.

"Yeah but I'm the best friend! I'm not supposed to miss the wedding." He's still pouting but then jumps up, energized, "You have to have another one! One with all of us there! We could use a good celebration." He looks at Makkari. "I refuse to take no for an answer," he signs these last words extra firmly.

Makkari shrugs with a grin. It makes no difference to her.

"How about a vow renewal instead?" Sersi suggests.

"What's that?" Gil asks confused.

"The humans do it. After they've been married ten or twenty years, a few decades, they have a ceremony where they repeat their vows. It's like a wedding but to celebrate the longevity of the marriage."

The Eternals all turn to look at the married couple in question.

"How long have you been married?" Ikaris asks the question on everyone's mind.

'Will be more than 10 centuries next year,' Makkari answers proudly.

Their family's jaws drop at the long-kept secret.

"That long!" Phastos whispers. "You've kept it from us that long?"

The couple nods with matching smug expressions.

"Well then it's an excellent time to have a vow renewal," Ajak claps her hands once before the situation can devolve into chaos again. Ikaris looks purple by now. "Druig and Makkari can celebrate the longevity of their marriage and we can finally attend their wedding."

'Who found out first?' Makkari asks suddenly.

The Eternals all look at each other in thought. When you live as long as they do, the years sort of end up blurring together.

"Gil and Thena found out earliest, we think," Sersi supposes.

"Hey wait! I found out really early on too!" Kingo protests.

"You?" Druig looks incredulous.

"You thought you were hallucinating," Sprite points out and Makkari snorts out a laugh.

"How did you find out?" Druig asks, his surprise shining through.

Kingo huffs. "It's not like I wanted to walk in on you two being all mushy. You called her your wife but I thought it was the heat getting to me."

Druig turns to Makkari. "It doesn't count!" He tells her.

'It does,' she insists, silent laughter shaking through her.

"He thought he was hallucinating!" Druig protests.

'Still counts!'

"Does not!"

'Does too!'

"Does not!"

'Does too!'

"What is this? Are we witnessing their first married spat?" Phastos comments as the rest of them watch the couple argue back and forth like a tennis match.

"Next person tie breaker?" Druig suggests.

Makkari raises her chin with a competitive glint. 'Deal.' She turns to the others. 'Who found out next?'

"I think we did," Thena replies cautiously unsure what Druig and Makkari are arguing about.

"Ha!" Druig says.

"Gil found out first and told me," Thena continues.

"Makkari was looking for you. Called you her husband," Gilgamesh explained.

Druig gasps. "Cheater!" he tells Makkari.

'I didn't do it on purpose!' She signs back just as furiously.

The others are now nervous.

"Still cheating!" Druig counters.

Makkari huffs. 'New terms then?'

Druig narrows his eyes playfully, "Fine." This time he turns to the others. "Sersi told you all we were married, didn't she?" he asks.

Makkari smacks his chest. 'No cheating!'

Druig rephrases, "I mean did Sersi open the discussion where you all found out?'

Sersi looks guilty now.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't mean to."

Druig looks smug as Makkari begins to pout but Phastos interjects first.

"I'm the one who said it," he answers, still unclear on why this is so important. "Although I guess Ajak is the one who led to it since she was looking for Makkari and then couldn't find you either, Druig."

Druig and Makkari look at each other in contemplation, suddenly at a draw. Makkari pouts and Druig looks like he's going to laugh.

"Seems like neither of us win then, my beautiful Makkari."

Makkari sticks her tongue out at him. 'I bet on Kingo so I still win.'

"And I bet on Sersi leading to the cat coming out of the bag so I win that one," he points out.

They would have continued their argument except a loud exclamation cuts them off.

"BET?" Ikaris yells. "You didn't tell any of us for two millenia because of a bet!"

Druig grins back at the haughty soldier. Makkari can tell he's been enjoying getting to one up and frustrate the sun Eternal with this information. She'd tell him to tone it down but this has been a long time coming and she can't deny how much she loves the way Druig is happy to talk about the fact that they're married. To him it's always been a novelty that they are despite the centuries and she loves getting to reassure him, including his boasting about it to their family.

"No. We didn't tell any of you because it was easier and we didn't want you poking your noses into our business."

'The bet was just a bonus,' Makkari adds cheekily.

The couple look so pleased with themselves that none of the other Eternals know what to do.

Ikaris huffs past them out the door, clearly pissed and no longer wanting part in a conversation with two Eternals who refuse to be regretful and Phastos follows with a shake of his head saying, "Nope. Can't do this anymore today. We'll revisit this tomorrow cuz I am Tired."

Gilgamesh and Thena follow having said their piece but not without amused grins at the younger couple's antics. They hardly mind the bet or the privacy. And Druig and Makkari are right. No one did bother to notice. All they did was play into the others obliviousness. One can hardly fault them for that.

Sersi looks apologetic about Ikaris as she leaves but can't resist hugging both Druig and Makkari before she goes with a whispered Congrats again. She doesn't understand why they would make the rest of them not knowing a game of all things but she is beginning to accept their relationship is far more complex than her narrow understanding of love would previously have her believe.

Sprite leaves without a word and Kingo goes grumbling about them owing him a party and then it's only Ajak left.

"I'm happy you both found eternal peace in each other," she starts softly. "Our lives are long and sharing them with someone makes the time pass easier, the pain feels less potent," she looks at Druig for this and he looks back with an unchanging expression. He and Ajak will always disagree on methods and being with Makkari will not change that. The woman who is like their mother knows this because she continues quickly, "I know you had your reasons, but still, I wish you had told us. Told me. Not as your leader, but as someone who cares about you all. Though we don't always see eye to eye, I thought for something so important that wouldn't have mattered so much."

Her voice is laced with sorrow and though she doesn't say it, both Druig and Makkari know whar she means. She's loved them as her children and she feels betrayed. Her words make them feel guilty because they look away for a brief moment before Makkari steels her resolve. Ajak may not mean to blame Druig for their secrecy, but unintentionally that is exactly what she is implying and Makkari refuses to let that slide.

'We didn't do it out of malice,' she promises. 'But we did prefer it this way. The bet was a game to pass the time. We didn't mean for it to hurt anyone. Least of all you.' Ajak looks like she's about to say something but Makkari soldiers on. 'I'm the one who suggested getting married. We saw a small wedding and it looked so peaceful, without any fuss. Druig asked me if we should invite all of you. I'm the one who said no. I wanted it that way.'

Her eyes remain boring into Ajak's as she signs firmly and understanding dawns on their leaders' eyes. It's her turn to look guilty.

"I didn't mean that you did it out of malice-" she begins but this time Druig stops her.

"We're sorry you couldn't be there, but we aren't sorry for the way we got married. It worked for us. Not all of us can be Ikaris and Sersi who broadcast everything to the world."

Makkari can feel him getting worked up so she waits until he finishes signing before taking his hand in hers.

'We'll have a renewal ceremony,' she says, clearly meaning to end the discussion. 'We enjoyed having our privacy all this time, but we want to share our relationship now too. We never would have minded it sooner either, but it's for the best things worked out this way. Now on our 10 hundredth anniversary you can all share the joy with us.'

"We can't turn back time," Druig adds with a shrug.

Ajak sighs. "I know. I know." She smiles up at them before coming forward to embrace the two Eternals. For her they are her youngest children after Sprite and though she knows they are as old as she, there's a hollow sorrow in her chest at the awareness that they are grown and mature in their own ways. "I'm glad we get to share in your happiness now, even if it is so late."

She looks out the window then, at the long set sun and the stars twinkling. "It is late. You've probably had a long day with your travels. I'll leave you be to rest although," she adds, "do let me know if you both plan to leave again. Makkari it was your turn to patrol today and I couldn't find you or Druig either. It was luck no Deviants attacked today."

She looks like she can go on a lecture on their duty and responsibility for longer but then thinks better of it. With a warm smile she leaves their quarters, closing the door behind her.

Druig lets out a sigh of relief and Makkari relaxes, some of her extra high-strung energy expelling all at once.

'Well, that was an unexpected end to our day in the Caribbean,' Druig signs clearly too tired to talk anymore.

'I didn't think they'd break into our room,' Makkari pouts at the mess and Druig scowls at the memory. He'd tease her about her room always being a mess since she loves her organized chaos as opposed to his neatness anyway but he knows there's always been a method to her madness and that the other Eternals have upset it in their hunt for her camera.

'We let them off the hook too easy,' he signs.

'I'll threaten to leave them on the North Pole if they do it again tomorrow,' Makkari vows. She looks so adorable in her frustration that Druig forgets his own anger and smiles.

'What?' she asks, a slow smile spreading across her own face.

"My beautiful beautiful Makkari, my beautiful beautiful wife," Druig murmurs as he signs his favorite terms of endearment to her. He pulls her into his arms hugging her and swaying with her as she breaths him in and rests her head against his chest.

'My beautiful beautiful Druig, my charming handsome husband,' Makkari signs back, pulling away slightly. She pushes the thought into his head too as she signs and loves the way his eyes crinkle with pleasure at her returning his terms of endearment with her own. It's their way of saying I love you, more meaningful than the actual words.

"We had a fun game these past couple of centuries didn't we?" he muses pulling her down to sit on the bed with him as they wear off the day's exhaustion.

'We did,' Makkari agrees, her head tucked into his neck. Instead of signing she presses the thought into his head instead, not wanting to move from the loving embrace of his arms to sign. She smiles and he can feel the tickle of it against his skin. 'I still won the bet though,' she teases.

'Did not!' Druig gasps in faux anger, pulling away to look at her mischievous expression.

'Did too!'

'Did not!'

'Did-'

Her thought goes unfinished as he moves to capture her lips with his instead. She smiles into the kiss and shakes her head panting when he pulls back.

'Now who's the cheater!' she signs. 'You can never win a bet against me, admit it!'

It's a favorite fact of hers. Druig can outsmart anyone in bets to the point where the others protest him participating in their wagers, knowing how easily he wins. It's not even through his power but a strong sense of intuition that leads him to win every time. But never with her though. He's always lost bets when it comes to her.

'I still won, beautiful Makkari,' Druig says smugly.

'Oh really?' She raises an eyebrow.

'I got you to marry me didn't I?'

Makkari's grin is blinding as she attacks him with another kiss. There's not much talking after that but right as they're dozing off later, she feels the gentle brush of his consciousness across her mind.

'But this one was still a tie.'

So how did you guys enjoy it so far? Thoughts on Ikaris and Sprite finally finding out and the grand confrontation between Drukkari and the other Eternals?