I woke up to the sound of a wind chime and a cool wind against my cheek.

I was on top of something soft, almost like a cloud as I was slowly blinking. Although it looked like I was laying out on my side, I could see a window over my head and gray clouds. I took in a soft but gentle breath, feeling it is a bit difficult to take in a full breath and have my lungs inflate. Yet then again, I thought I was dead.

Was I dead? Was this heaven.

My brain was trying to catch up with me now as I was finding out where I was. A blanket was over me, it felt like a thick quilted blanket as my head was on top of a soft but full pillow. I then knew I was on a bed, a rather large bed since I felt space around me without the need to move Something was over my nose and mouth, it felt like a barrier of something kind that was pushing oxygen into me. I took in another breath, breathing in pure air and having me grout a bit from the sensation. Trying to move, I felt an intense numbing sensation in my back, not having me move an inch. This was confusing me now, not understanding what was going on It was making me confused, but then I remembered then.

The Emergence. Saving Druig from dying. Being on the beach. Fighting Ikaris.

What happened?

I remember fighting Ikaris. He was trying so hard to kill me there on the beach when I was simply buying Sersi some time to end the Emergence. That feeling that we were so close but Ikaris was trying to stop us. II felt anger and pain towards him, knowing that two of my friends died because of him and I almost lost Druig in the process too. Being so stubborn in his ways and his faith in Arishem was enough for us to see the true side of Ikaris. I saw the rage in his eyes because he would use them as weapons.

HIs true colors were grim and almost barbaric, and I almost died because of it.

The last thing I remembered happening to me was my back being split open. That pain was seeing through my body, almost like a virus and it was unbearable to just breathe through it. The last thing that was floating in my head since I felt like I was about to die on that beach was the love I had for each one of my family members. It was almost bitter-sweet, thinking that I wasn't going to see them again. But I wasn't too sad about it too, knowing that I did all that I could do and made sure they were all safe. It made have look silly to the others, but I was content in what I did and how I protected them.

But another person floated into my mind. His vision was clear as my eyes were still heavy. Druig.

Oh, Druig.

I knew I was doing something that Druig begged me not to do. He didn't want me to fight Ikaris, he wanted me to be safe and away from the danger. What we experiment together for the first time was very raw and new, and we had to express our feelings to one another right before we were stopping the Emergence. It felt like the odds were stacked against us, and yet Druig was desperate enough to make sure that Ikaris wasn't going to hurt me. Maybe he knew Ikaris was going to be beyond powerful, or that he was just wanting to keep me alive. But I realized that the last time I saw him was when I got him out of the hole, right before I was injured.

Oh God, where was he? Was he okay?

"You're awake,"

I saw someone walk around the bed I was in, sitting in the spare chair was proper right against the bed I was sprawled and was looking down at me with gentle and fragile eyes. I saw who it was, blinking a few times to make sure she was real and this was no dream. Sersi, looking as radiant as ever as she was no longer in her armor. The last time I saw her she was running towards the volcano, her green armor flashing in the sun. But now she was in her civilian clothes, looking rather solemn but happy to see me as I looked up at her.

"What…" I tried to say, but something felt off with my voice. It felt like I advent' spoken in days, and I was still feeling lethargic and heavy. Sersi immediately shook her head, taking my clammy fingers in her own as she was watching me.

"Don't talk right now, okay?" She asked me, keeping her voice level as she gave me one of her sweet smiles that could melt ice. I went quiet again, seeing her sigh and rub the back of my hand with her fingers to almost soothe me, "We thought of the worst with you. I'm just glad you're okay."

I kept quiet, seeing the small look of relief on Seriss' face from just having me awake there in the bed. I had so many questions to ask her, and since she told me not to speak, I decided to resort to signing at her with my other hand that was not being held by her.

Where are we? I signed to her, the first question that was on my mind.

"Ajak's farm," She replied, having me scan the room briefly to see that it was true. The room was cozy, almost intimately cozy with a few things haring on the wall and an old dresser against the wall. Of course, we would be at her farmhouse, it was almost a bitter moment then since I was here before not too long ago. But I never went into her bedroom before, "I figured this would be the best place for you to rest and heal."

Did we stop the Emergence? I asked her, looking back at Sersi to keep the questions going.

"We did," She answered, sounding relieved herself, "Our Uni-Mind worked with all of us connected together. I don't know how I did it but…." She trailed off, having me see her replay it all in her mind. She was almost in a daze, having me squeeze her hand in my mind to show her that I was there. Sersi always had strength behind her, and perhaps she didn't release how much she had. it was just like me, and yet I saw it in her all this time. But I had another person that I wanted to ask her about, and as much as I didn't want to think about him, I had to know.

Where's Ikaris? I signed to her, seeing her face then fall and then look at our joined hands. It felt like I just trigger something in her seeing her give a shaky breath and then a singular tear falling onto her shirt. I squeezed her hand, seeing her look at me with her glassy eyes.

"He's gone," She replied, having me sigh and see the pain in her eyes. There was heartbreak heard in her voice, in how she sat in the chair, and how she was thinking. I watched her eyes and saw the pain she was in from the thought of Ikaris being gone, and I didn't even want to know what she meant by it. He was no longer in the picture, and perhaps that was enough. Sersi always loved him, she loved on such a deep level that none of us understood, and although they separated from one another some time ago, there was still love there.

I'm sorry, Sersi, I said to her, seeing her shake her head and move to push her tears away with her spare hand.

"He knew what he was doing, and he was remorseful about it. What he's done to Ajak and Gilgamesh, snd he almost killed you back on that beach. We couldn't have forgiven him," Sersi explained to me carefully, having me cringe a bit from hearing that Ikaris harmed me. I wanted to ask her what happened to me, how I need up here in Ajak's bed and my whole body felt like it went through some kind of torture. Sersi saw that hesitance in my eyes then, shifting in her chair.

"He served your spine," She explained, my eyes going side from hearing the news. I was giving her an uneasy look as she went on, "Thankfully, he didn't get your cord but just your bones. You also broke a rib, and you got a crack in your cheek. Phastos fixed you up, and thankfully your Eternal healing helped speed the process up and the cheek and rib healed rather quickly. Your spine is taking longer to heal than we thought, but it's healing. Soteri, you're still weak, you've been asleep for the past three days,"

Three days. I was out for three days! It baffled me that I was asleep and healing for that long, but it almost made me realize that I must have been near close to death to have to heal all this time. My mind was still frazzled with trying to remember the certain moments on that beach. I remembered seeing the Emergence beginning to happen around us on the island, then I felt the searing pain along my backside and then the Uni-Mind starting up.

But after that, it was a blur.

"The others were worried about you all this time that we haven't left the farmhouse since we came," Sersi explained some more, rubbing my hand again as I watched her with a sense of heaviness, "Phastos brought his son and husband here for us to meet and stay with us. I know you already know them, but they're so kind. Jack's a sweet boy, he was asking about his Auntie Sophie. That's your alias I take it?"

I nodded my head slowly, my head feeling heavy now that I was having a wave of exhaustion hit me then. I wanted to ask more questions, but my eyes were started to droop and I was slipping into another time of sleep. Sersi saw it on my face, squeezing my hand.

"You rest now. I'll have Phastos come and check your back and we can catch up later, okay? Gather your strength," she instructed me carefully. She was about to get up when I tugged her hand in urgency. I knew I wanted to ask her before I fell asleep, the one person that I was worried beyond reason for. The last thing he did was kiss me and promise me to be safe, but not I didn't know where he was.

"Druig," I said his name, using my voice once more. I felt the need to say his name, wondering where he was and if he was in fact safe. Logically I knew he could take care of himself and keep himself safe. But I was still concerned for him, merely because that he had a new carved out place within myself that was pure and good and filled with love.

I felt myself starting to cry then, a few tears were coming through as Sersi looked at me in concern. Why would I cry about him? Was I crying because I was scared that I had no idea where he was? Or was I crying because I was relieved that we were safe and there was no more threat over our heads? But I had to know if he was okay, that nothing was going to hurt him

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry. He's okay, Soteri," Sersi reassured me calmly, seeing the hint of distress on my face from worrying about Druig, "He's more worried about you. Since we got here he hasn't left your side. He's taking a breather with Makkari right now since he's been wanting to sit with you this whole time."

My heart was warming from the thought of Druig being there with me as I was healing. He was there with me this whole time, and although I was so far away within my mind, Druig never was too far away. I tried to picture it in my mind, seeing him in that very chair that Sersi was in and watching me like a hawk. But my eyes were drooping then, my breathing starting to even out and my head was sinking into the pillow. Druig was still floating in and out of my thoughts, but Sersi could clearly see me drift away as she squeezed my hand on more time.

"Sleep now, Soteri. You're safe,"

I fell asleep with a sense of safety surrounding me.

I woke up again, still feeling a bit heavy and in my body. I was no longer wearing my oxygen mask over my nose and mouth, but my breathing was still light and raspy. My eyes were adjusting to the light, which was now dark and a bit dim. There was a singular light in the room to give a small glow along the walls and furniture. The first thing that I saw was a body that was hunched over in the chair Sersi was sitting at when I was awake before. This person was fast asleep, his head resting on his arms that were crossed on the bed to make a makeshift pillow. There was a blanket hunched over his shoulders, and I saw the slow rise and fall of his shoulders to show he was in a deep sleep. My heart swelled and I beamed.

Druig.

He was sleeping sounding, facing me on the bed but there was still a good amount of space between the both of us there. I said nothing, not wanting to break the small moment of peace that was floating over the both of us at that moment. Just seeing him there in front of us was enough to put my mind at ease. He was safe, right in front of me and we weren't on the island anymore. There was no Celestial to put to sleep, and there was Ikaris that was trying to kill us off. But we were on a real farm, the old home of our old beloved leader, and we were together again.

My feelings for him were always embedded in me, long before we reunited and even farther back before we speared from each other. I didn't know when it precisely happened, or if there was a distant moment that I had with him, but those feelings did come to light and they were in my life. I tried to fight it for so long, maybe thinking that my own sexuality was telling me not to care for him or love him. But one thing that I learned from humans throughout the years, is that love is nothing that is connected to attraction.

Not how I saw it.

I saw Druig for all that he was. HIs tough exterior was only a shield for him to use and not be vulnerable, and yet he was rarely like that with me. Druig had a lightness in him, in how he teased the others and how he would joke and banter. His moods were all his own, but there was goodness deep within him. I loved all the sides of him and how they all gravitated back to goodness. Even his aloofness and anger never stayed for too long. But what got me was his soul, that soul that wanted what is best for the humans and hated to see humans fail. He would rather walk away and do what he thought was right than stay and do what he was told. His defiance and direction were always his strength, and that showed his love too.

I did love him. I loved Druig with all of my being.

Slowly and without disturbing him, I moved one of my hands that were closest to him to touch his arm. His skin was soft and soothing to the touch, almost a calming balm that I needed to fully know that this was no dream. As sappy as it sounded, I could watch him sleep forever and feel content. He was never one to have real rest, not for as long as I knew him. It was the peace that we all finally needed, that he needed, and I was glad that he was getting it.

Suddenly he shot up, snapping awake within a millisecond and moving away from me. My hand dropped to the top of the bed as he blinked rapidly, sitting up straight and shaking off the sleep that was on his face. I watched him rub his eyes with his fingers, grumbling a bit and having me see his bedhead. It was almost adorable, and my heart was swelling from seeing him right there in front of me. Once he finally lowered his hands from hiding his eyes, I noticed how precept blue they were. But they were bloodshot. I then realized something that did break my heart a bit.

He was crying. Did he cry himself to sleep?

"Hey," I said to him, finally finding my voice. He stopped moving, his hands shutting down to look down at me almost in shock. He looked at me, almost not believing himself in what he was seeing. We were quiet, just staring at each other. I felt like I needed to do something, anything, to have him know that he was real.

I finally, put my hands underneath me, pushing myself up to sit on the bed. As soon as I moved, rising slowly on the bed, I felt a small spasm of pain all along my back where I knew I was wounded. I squinted, but still pushed through the prickling stabs along the spine. Druig finally moved, shifting a bit in his chair to grab my arms.

"Soteri," He said my name in worry as I finally got myself to sit fully on the bed. There was a brief moment of me not moving, but I shifted again to face him on the edge of the bed and try to face him head-on. Druig was still holding my arms protectively It took another moment or two of moving, but as soon as I was facing him, I cradled his face within my fingers. I took in a long breath, searching his bloodshot but beautiful blue orbs as I was seeing him look right at me. Relief was there all over his face as I gave him a soft and gentle smile.

"I'm right here, Druig," I whispered to him, seeing him almost melt from hearing me say his name. He was melting again, his shoulder sagging in the relief that I was speaking to him and I was alive. I leaned in, initiating it this time, and I pressed a kiss against his lips that was so soft and gentle. Keeping my hands on his face and feeling the heat in his cheeks, I took in a long breath as we kept our kiss together. His hands moved then, one cradling my neck to touch my long hair within his fingers and the other hand moving to my waist gently and with carefulness. I felt him free another kiss against my lips, almost in urgency as I held it as long as I could.

When we were pulling away, I pressed my head against his own and pushed a kiss onto his skin under his eye, feeling his hand on my waist gently pull him close. We were trying to melt together again, just like before when we were in the Domo. But this time, there was no rush and no need to be urgent.

"I thought you were gone," Druig said in a raspy manner, having me shake my head at him while we were still embracing, "I saw you there on the beach. I saw your body—"

"Druig," I said his name again, pulling away to stare at him intensely in the eyes. He was trying so hard not to cry from thinking back at that moment, that horrid moment when he thought I was dead. But I stared at him, feeling that same fear too. Lying there in the sand and bleeding out on the floor, I thought I was going to lose him too.

"I'm right here, okay?" I asked him carefully, "Don't think like that anymore. I'm here, and I'm with you. I'm not going anywhere else, I promise," It was never a good headspace to be in, thinking that someone you cared for was taken away from you. I never wanted to feel that, and I've seen humans experience it from time to time in wars or tragedies. But to see Druig got through it was enough to break my heart.

Druig nodded his head, wrapping both of his arms around carefully and pulling me close to embrace him. His hands were avoiding my spine, but it was still an intimate hold that he had on me. I wrapped my arms around him too, calming myself down as we held each other in Ajak's old room. Not only was I glad to be alive and Phastos save my life in the end, but I was glad Druig was there with me. There wasn't a threat that wanted to pull us apart from each other anymore.

It was just us.

"I'm so sorry for being reckless," I said to him, thinking back to how I was taking Ikaris on by myself which lead to my one moment of vulnerability. The last thing I wanted to do was make Druig worry, but I did that to him. Druig shook his head as we were still hugging.

"You weren't," He said to me against my neck, having me squeeze him a bit tighter to push some of my emotions into him too to calm him down, "You were strong out there. It was Ikaris that has done this to you, and if he was alive—"

"Then I would have stopped him again like I did before," I reminded him as tried to steer him away from reliving that anger that I knew he had against Ikaris, "I don't want to think about it anymore. We stopped the Emergence, and we're here in this space,"

"I know," He hummed, calming down a bit before he pulled away and sat back to stare at me. I watched him, seeing him lace our fingers together and keep a close distance with me but enough to give me some space too. I could see it in his eyes and in how he was sitting, he was beyond exhausted and worn down to the bone. Something was telling me he was feeling more exposed too, which was haring me grimace a bit at him.

"Sersi told me you've been in here with me this whole time," I explained to him, seeing the evidence all over him as I looked at him lovingly then, "Why didn't you get any sleep?"

"I did," He said to me, "Just now,"

"I don't consider that sleep," I advised him.

"Well I was more worried about you, wasn't I?" He asked him me, not in a challenging or an annoyed manner, but I could see him resisting with me, "I was more concerned about the love of my life than I was getting some sleep,"

I froze and looked at him. almost feeling the floor drop beneath me. He never said that to me before, I've never heard him say something like that about anyone or anything in all the time we lived in this world together. He was always resaved when it came to his feelings, never letting one in too close. Even with Me, way before we kissed, he was never fully vulnerable. There was always a barrier, a wall of sorts, that would protect him from anyone or anything that could bring him to his knees.

"You love me?" I asked him in a breath, my eyes were wide and looking directly at him. I've seen his eyes in so many shades: light from the sun and from joy and laughter. Dark from the night, with pain and anger. Piercing with rage and almost with passion. But the one thing I've never seen in his eyes was deceit. He never once lied to me, and seeing how he was staring at me now, he wasn't lying.

He shifted in his chair, holding my hands in his own and rubbing his thumb along my skin to soothe as he was giving me the most loving look I have ever seen him give me.

"I love you more than anything else in life, Soteri," He confessed to me, his voice sounding soft like veldt and soothing like a river. I have melted then, even died on the spot and I would have been beyond happy and content. My heart was bursting at its seams, my head was spinning and yet I was feeling fireworks all within me and through me. Hearing that someone else loved me, truly loved me, made me finally feel what humans felt. It was the one thing that I always wanted and yearned for, not physical attraction or sexual lust. No, I wanted to love, the kind of love that made humans, in fact, human.

And Druig was giving it to me.

I leaned back in and kissed him boldly, feeling him kiss me back just as slowly but intensely. I just track of time while we kissed each other, taking our time and savoring each kiss that we were giving each other. I wanted this nice and slow, soft and gentle with him but also wishing to make up for the long-lost time that we could have had if we were bold enough. But now we had time, we had all the time in the world. And as I slide my fingers in his hair and he caressed my skin near my neck, I knew it was loved.

"I love you," I said against his lips over and over after each kiss, wanting him to hear it and believe in it. I didn't care if it was sappy or that we looked like teenagers, I was going to tell him until I was blue in the face or until the stars around us were going to burn out in flames. I kissed through every spasm that I was feeling in my back, that pain was nothing in comparison to what I was experiencing there with Druig.

We only kissed that night, having me hear him say me loved me back in return against my lips. That's when I knew love was real.