Druig's POV

I dreamt of seeing Soteri dead along the shore. I was walking up to her body, seeing how still it was and the blood oozing out of her back. Her skin was slowly growing gray, the last signs of her life slipping away with me being able to do a single thing about it. My eyes went big, my blood went cold and I felt myself trying to scream out. Nothing was coming out of my mouth then, having me panic and slam my eyes shut.

Snapping awake, I was blinking a few times to see where I was. I was back in Ajak's bedroom, the soft sounds of the easy morning were coming in and I sighed in relief. I was having a nightmare, my heart beating so fast and so abruptly that I took a few deep breaths just to calm down. It was quiet in the room, the barely open window brought in the soft sounds of the farm. I knew this place, it reminded me of my village back in the Amazon. It felt like there was a safety bubble and nothing was going to touch us.

But the body next to me was stirring a bit from me moving, making me instantly stop and look down at who it was. A head tucked into my neck, hair tickling my nose slightly as a leg was gently wrapped over my own and one hand was resting along my waist. I felt instant relief, seeing her there and feeling her against me. She was safe, she was warmth, and she was right there next to me.

Soteri, fast asleep in my arms.

How is it that we haven't had this sooner? If only I wasn't scared enough to tell her centuries before, even before I left them all behind and broke her heart in the process. It was always there, that temping notion in telling her how I felt. But I was too scared of rejection, too petrified that she wouldn't feel the same things for me too. It made me remember those 500 years away from the family, away from her, and all it made me think about was if I made the right choice. I wondered if she was happy, if she was helping people with selflessness oozing out of her. But I mostly wondered if she thought of me too.

Of course, she did.

This sense of peace between the two of us and having nothing to worry about. Just being able to be around her was enough for me, it was enough in the past that helped me through darker moments and tough times. I remembered telling her constantly how painful it felt that I couldn't help humans and stop tragedies happens. Maybe I was just venting out my feelings, but it felt nice to tell someone on the ship what was festering in me. The others, they wouldn't have understood since they thought I was acting like a moody teenager.

Not Soteri. She always listened, taking in all that I would say to her. She never once judged me, having our conversations be raw and honest at the same time. Once I was down venting, she would just give me one of her smiles that I swore Arishem created from the rays of the sun itself, and she would always reassure me that she was there. She felt that pain too, wanting to protect the humans. That was the thing that made me first see her in a new way.

Her thirst for protection. It was massive and strong.

The second thing that intrigued me was that I couldn't read her mind. Her mind was blocked from me, almost like a haze that made me go blind whenever I would try and tap into it. In the beginning, I tried since I could do it so easily with the others. But with Soteri, her mind was a fortress that I would never be able to conquer. Yet, that barrier also brought us together. I was forced to talk to her, to get to know her on a deeper level. It made me work on how I would talk to people, how I could connect with others instead of using my abilities on them. Soteri made me work for our friendship, and there wasn't a moment in our friendship that I would take back.

I leaned over to just be closer to her on the bed, although it was near impossible. I breathed in her hair, smelling the small scent of the shampoo she used the night before and a very scent of coffee that she drank last night too. She almost smelled like the sun, whatever that sun would smell like that is. Her hair was soft against my skin, cascading down her back and already looking bright in the room as the sun was coming through the windows and drapes. I would look at her forever if I could because her unique beauty was enough for me to be drunk in bliss.

She was more humble about herself than anything, but I knew of others who were looking at her fondly in the past. She was beautiful to me, the softness of her fair skin that was speckled with freckles to the curves along her hips and legs that she developed from being active throughout the centuries. The beauty within her shined in her outward appearance, she could wear pants and a t-shirt and I would find her sublime to gaze at. I saw her inward beautify before anything else, and her inward beauty was beyond anything that a single human could ever try to make on this earth.

As tempting as it was that I wanted to stay in bed and keep holding Soteri in our bubble of peace, I felt my stomach churn in hunger. I didn't realize how hungry I was until then, having me think that I needed to eat something. With much reluctance, I moved out of Soteri's hold to get myself out of the bed. Pushing the blankets back up around her shoulders, I leaned over to kiss her hair. Thankfully, she stayed deep in her slumber and curled into the warmth under her blanket, having me feel a bit better that Soteri was sleeping and getting better in her recovery.

I walked down the stairs onto the first floor, not hearing anyone within the house as I was ruffling my own hair. Soteri and I took Ajak's room, Sersi and Thena took the second bedroom on the second floor as Phastos and his family took the guest room on the first floor. Makkari slept in the study on the small couch, leaving Sprite in the living room. I was still having some ill feelings towards Sprite, no matter that Sersi made her a human and she apologized to us. I was still bitter to her, and I didn't take back slamming her in the back of the head with a rock out on that island.

In fact, I was quite proud of that.

I could hear a few voices outside near the home corrals, having me think that Thena was perhaps riding one of the horses again. That was a new habit in the morning, horseback riding and getting her mind at ease. I made my way to the kitchen, walking through the opening and stopping in my tracks. I saw Phastos there, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand and his eyes were right on me. I looked at him, not knowing what to do as he watched me with a hint of intrigue and with a pondered look too. I shuffled a bit, feeling a bit awkward as Phastos looked at me like he was about to scold me.

"Morning," He said to me, keeping it light and simple. I awkwardly nodded my head, walking over and pouring my cup of coffee with the spare cup that was left. I then walked to the refrigerator to find something to eat, but before I could touch the handle Phastos grabbed an apple from a fruit bowl next to him and tossed it at me. I snagged it in the air, giving him a small smile.

"Thanks," I huffed at him, seeing him nod as I took a bite.

"We were going to wait for you to wake up before we made breakfast any who, though you would eat the entire table in one go," Phastos commented before he took a long drink from his coffee cup, "Besides, you look well-rested."

I paused before I could take another bite, eyeing Phastos suspiciously The way he was watching me with almost a smug look on his face as if he knew something that I didn't. I wasn't catching on to what he was thinking or saying to me, not for the first few seconds. But then I realized what he was talking about, then having me give him a torn look.

"Phastos—" I started, thinking that I was going to have to give him some kind of explanation. But he stopped and held his hand up at me to have no go quiet.

"I don't mean any harm, Druig," He reassured me, sounding nice about it and I still gave him a look. He paused, then gestured with his head out to the porch that lead to the horse corral, "Let's go talk,"

"Do we need to talk this early?" I had to ask in a mumble before I took another bite from my apple, watching him head over to the backdoor that lead to the small porch.

"Yes, don't make me drag you out here," He said over his shoulder as he threw the door open, "And you know I will."

I groaned, knowing that he was right. I followed reluctantly, seeing him go over to the left to one of the rocking chairs that were on the porch. Out in front of us was the small barn, the horse corral was on the ride and I could see Thena already riding. She was going around in circles, making it look beyond easy in how she was riding the horse. But she wasn't alone, Phastos's family was watching from the side against the metal fence in awe. Thena was grinning from ear to ear as Phastos's son Jack was watching her in such adoration and admiration.

"You're going to let him ride a horse?" I asked while I sat next to Phastos in the second rocking chair. Phastos lightly chuckled.

"He was begging me since we got here. Thankfully, Thena told me she would teach him today after breakfast. I can never say no to that kid," Phastos explained, having his gentle smile on his face. I couldn't help but grin at that too. Phastos had a big heart, and I was glad that he had a family to love and take care of. His son was a good reflection of him, we all saw it when we met him for the first time a few days back.

I leaned back in the chair, soaking in the cool morning that was coming through the farm and watching the rolling hills coming into view. It made me think of the Amazon, but instead of constant trees and humidity, there was bare ground and a bitter wind. The one thing it had in common was the silence of the land, no sign of humans anywhere close by, and nothing leaving a permanent mark in nature.

"Druig," Phastos said my name, having me look over at him now as he was still looking at the horse corral, "I know about Soteri,"

I looked at him in confusion, shifting in my chair as I cocked my head at him cautiously.

"What do you mean, Phastos?" I asked him, not understanding. He took in a long sigh before he looked over and gave me the kind of stare that seemed both deep and filled with wisdom.

"I know, Druig," He said, having me then realize what he was saying. I looked away from him, back out in front of me and almost feeling a bit on edge then since Phastos was the one bringing this up between the both of us. I took a small drink from my coffee, making an uneasy look as I was keeping my eyes off of Phastos.

"How long have you known?" I had to ask, purely curious but not wanting to seem uneasy about it in front of him.

"She told me how she was feeling back in the late '90s," Phastos explained to me calmly, leaning back a bit in his chair, "We stayed in contact throughout the years. When she told me, she was really conflicted about it. I had to talk her down from having a panic attack at my kitchen table because she was so afraid of telling me,"

"She was afraid?" I asked, feeling terrible that Soteri had to go through that small hint of panic about herself.

"Soteri has always been reserved about herself, even when it comes to how she feels," Phastos reminded me, "She keeps a lot of things to herself, locked up in a box. I have to wonder sometimes if that head of hers is a fortress,"

"I think the same thing," I mumbled seeing out of the corner of my eye Phastos give me a look now as I was still looking at the horizon in from of me. It was almost a bittersweet feeling, knowing Phastos knew about Soteri and her sexuality before I did. That was Soteri's life, she could tell whoever she pleased. But I felt a small hint of jealousy in knowing I wasn't the first.

"Look Druig, I say this out of love for both you and her," Phastos said to me, his voice low and almost too calm as I finally looked back at him. He was giving me a serious look, almost as if we were about to have a deep conversation. I think we were as he went on, "I'm happy for the both of you. I actually was thinking you two were gonna get together sooner. But the one thing I don't want for her is to have her heart broken—"

"I don't want that either," I said to him, carefully interrupting him and having him go quiet at me. I sighed, looking back ahead again while I was thinking of how I wanted to express what I felt about Soteri.

"I love her Phastos," I confessed to him, hearing my voice float in the wind as I kept talking with him, "I don't know how long I've loved her or when it happened, but I am in love with her. I would never do anything to hurt her to make her feel that way, ever,"

Phastos said nothing, still looking at me with a hint of shock as I took a longer drink to finish my coffee in my cup. I placed it on the ground, then folded my hands as my elbows rested on the armrests of the chair.

"She was afraid to tell me too," I said to Phastos calmly, though it was still a bit bitter to remember that talk we had in her apartment in Portland, "I didn't understand it, that she wouldn't want to tell me. But maybe she thought I would see her differently, or judge her."

"Druig," Phastos said my name, making me finally look back at him now as he was giving me his look of wisdom, "As someone who has gone through it before: coming out is hard. It's a difficult and scary thing to do, jumping into the unknown and not knowing if people are going to accept you,"

"I would have accepted—" I started to explain, but Phastos placed his hand on my arm to silence me.

"She didn't know that," He reminded me, "For all the time we have known her, Soteri was always second-guessing herself in comparison to us. I know we all would have loved her to who she was, just like how you all accept me and my life,"

I saw him look from me over to his son and husband, both of them were talking with Thena and petting the horse that she was standing next. He was watching him with pure love in his eyes, making me see that he was content with the life he had. He may have given up on humans in general, but to be able to be in love with someone and have a child with them was the pure exception. I was happy that he was happy.

"You think I'm going to pressure her into something then, Phastos?" I asked him, seeing him look back at him as I raised an eyebrow at him, "Is that why we're talking now?"

"I'm only looking out for the both of you, but also Soteri when it comes to how she feels and what she's comfortable with," He reassured me calmly, "I know you would never do that to her. I'm just making sure you know how she feels, you probably have already read her mind and figured it out anyway."

"Well I can't read her mind," I commented seeing him give me an almost shocked look as I took another bite from my apple. This made the whole thing worse: knowing she was afraid to tell me about her asexuality and I couldn't read her to mind to tell her how I felt sooner.

"You can't?" He asked me, sounding a bit shocked.

"Not since the beginning," I answered, then feeling a bit sheepish.

"Huh," Phastos said in a sigh, thinking to himself again as he then gave a small smile, "Makes total sense."

"I'm not following," I said to him in confusion.

"You can't read her mind, at all?" He asked me, having me silently shake my mind, "No wonder you too were close! You had to talk to her, really talk to her, just to be her friend!"

"You make me sound like I'm hard to be friends with," I accused him, seeing him give a weary shrug and then a chuckle. I glared, but there was no heat behind it as I closed my eye briefly. Who would have thought that I would be having this kind of talk with Phastos, on the back porch of Ajak's farmhouse? I was always cordial with Phastos, making fun of him a few times when his invention would be too advanced. But he was good, he had a good heart and wanted to help. I appreciated him and admired him for that.

"You gotta promise me something, Druig," He said to me, having me open my eyes and look at him. The stare he was giving me was calm yet serious. I've hardly ever seen him stare like this to anyone, ever. But I was willing to listen.

"Take care of Soteri, okay?"

It was a simple request, but deep within me I knew it was layered with several requests. He wanted to take care of her mind when it would be second-guessing her actions and decision. To take care of her emotions when they would at times get the best of her. He wanted me to take care of all of her, not just a part of her. But I could tell he cared for her too.

"I promise," I vowed to him. It was an easy promise for me since I knew from the moment I kissed her back on the Domo, it was all over for me. There was nothing else that was in my mind as important as her, even the thought of dying trying to stop the Emergence seemed less painful knowing that she loved me too. It was heightened when I thought she died, and I would have lost her forever when I had her for a mere moment.

Yet now she was there with me, and nothing was going to take me away from her.

"On that note," Phastos said in a hum, giving me a grin before he got up from the rocking chair, "I'm gonna corral my husband and Thena into getting breakfast ready. Wanna see if Soteri's up for breakfast?"

"Sure," I replied, "I'll make her a cup of coffee and help her down,"

"Better get it before Makkari drinks the rest," Phastos advised me. I nodded in agreement, knowing how Makkari was a caffeine fiend and would drain coffee like crazy. On that note, I walked back to get a new cup, filling it up and then making my way back upstairs to our room. I could hear the rest of the house waking up slowly too, which was my cue to go back to Soteri and have the last moments of peace with her before the day officially started.

I was replaying the conversation I just had with Phastos, hearing how he was both telling me how he knew of Soteri's sexuality and how he was looking for her too. I understood where he was coming from, I knew that he only wanted what was best for her. I did too, so there were no ill feelings about it.

It was simple in my mind: Soteri was everything to me.

She knew everything about me and accepted me. She listened to every rant I threw at her, giving me sound advice when I needed it the most. She showed me the true colors of the world that I thought I would never see.

I pushed the door open slowly, poking my head in to see Soteri wide awake. She was sitting up in the bed, her wild red hair almost like a halo around her head as she was rubbing her eyes. I paused at the door, watching her with fondness on my face as the light of the sun shined in her hair. She reminded me of the gold coin she received so long ago, the portrait she had on the surface with the rays of the sun around her like a halo.

She looked just the same.

"Hey," I said to her, finally having her look at me with her green eyes. She grinned from ear to ear, cocking her head at me.

"Hello," She hummed, motioning with her head to the cup in my hand, "Is that for me?"

"Nothing but the best for you," I replied smoothly, hearing her giggle as I walked into the room and sat on the edge, handing the cup over to her. She took it gracefully, having me watch her take a small sip from the cup and sigh in relief. Soteri looked at me with gentlest and love in her eyes, "Thank you,"

I didn't know when I was in love with her, or when it happened. Maybe it was a smaller moment when we spoke together, or maybe it was a larger moment when I saw her do something completely daring and brave. I tried to find that moment when I knew, but nothing really came to mind. I then realized it was simmering all this time, a small flame that brought the both of us together and only got bigger and bolder as the years went on. All that I knew was that this love I had for her was something I wasn't going to ever take for granted or mess with.

Soteri was my life. I knew it as I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.

"Only the best for you, my Soteri," I said against her lips.