18. as if it was the first time

☆ ゜・ 。。・ ゜゜・ 。。・ ゜★

We made it. After a long flight and few throwing up here and there due to my teleportation to the Amazon, we headed to the camp. We walked through the forest, watching our step.

"After almost 203 years, Celeste finally gets to see her lover." I overheard Kingo talking to Kuran, filming. "Will she run into his arms or slap him for what he's done? Is the flame still there or did it go out all those years ago?" I stopped walking, making him bump into me.

"Can you not?" I crossed my arms.

"Its great content." He lowers the camera down, but yet, still rolling. "They can make it into a movie, imagine, Lovers betrayal!" He looks at Kuran. "Write that down, Ill play Druig, maybe we can get Keria Knightley to play Celeste, call her." Kuran nods.

"My love life isnt for views Kingo." I growled at him.

"What are you going to do when you see him?" He hums, making me back up. I never really thought about it. I do miss him but how? We left in bad terms. "Well?" He snaps me out of my thoughts.

"I dont know." I shrugged, because actually I didn't know. I turned around and started walking again.

"Now she has to choose, Matty from New York or Druig from the Amazon?" I heard him again and I was now pissed.

"Kingo!" I charged at him. His eyes widen, scared squealing at me. "Get that out of my face." I shoved the camera to the ground and grabbed Kingo by the shirt, pulling him down to face me. "You know what will make great content? Me sending you miles down into the earths core with my powers." My eyes turned green.

"Okay, relax, calm down!" He puts his hands up, surrendering. "No need to get green." My eyes went back to normal and pushed him off of me, walking away again. We started to see more people, clanking of metal, kids laughing, we're here. The place stayed the same, as if I went back in time. Everyone walked around but I head to a place that I hoped that was still there.

"Its still here." I saw the garden Druig made for me. It was alive and well taken care of. My favorite flowers were still in the front, all the way to the bench. I sat down and trace the initials C + D with my fingers. He didn't change it. He kept it all the same.

"You getting this?" I sighed and saw Kingo waltzing into the garden. "Druig, wow, he did this? Didn't know he was that in love with you. What a softie."

"God you're so annoying." I got out and walked more to find Druig. I was going to the home we shared but I stopped as I heard a familiar voice.

"I missed all of you." I turned to see Druig coming out of the shelter. My heart skipped a beat and i teared up. I was so starstruck, as if it was the first time I saw him. Druig looks at me, smiles. "Please, make yourselves at home." He kept his eyes on me, studying me. We all went inside to tell him. Druig closes the door behind me. "Celeste." He stops me, hands behind his back. I flipped my hair back.

"Druig." I crossed my arms. Everyone sat back and watched.

"I sense tension." Kingo came out of nowhere. "Sexual?" We both snapped at him.

"Shut it Kingo." I growled and he sat down, hands up. I looked back at him, same grin and all.

"Hows your life going?"

"Like I wanted it to go, explored, learned, taught.
Something I couldn't do here."

"Loved?" He walks closer. My heart was beating so fast.

"Once." I want to see where this is going to go. I wanted to push his buttons. He was the only one i loved, Matt was just like a crush. But Druig, Druig, there was something there.

"Whats his name?" He hums.

"Jealous Dru?" I smiled, knowing I just made him jealous.

"Not one bit." He rubs off.

"I think you are." I poked.

"Love how you just assume." His voice got deeper and hotter. I hummed because if I said something, I would blurt out that I still love him. "Whats his name?"

"Not going to tell you."

"I do have a question for you." He comes up to my ear, brushing my hair back. I felt his lips on my ear. Goosebumps. "When you have sex with him, do you think of me?" My eye widen and I turned bright red, nothing more to say. He backs up and see what he done to me. He did it, he got me.

"Okay!" Sersi stops and sits me down. "How about we do this later? We need to talk." Druig walked to the front and watched me as I sat in the back as Sersi started to tell him the whole story. Again, he stared at me, smirking. I crossed my legs, my skirt went up, I awkwardly tried to sit normal, and Kingo turns back.

"What crawled up your ass?" I stopped and crossed my legs, keeping the skirt down with my hand so it wont slide up.

"You've given me a lot of bad news in one go, my lady." The way talks, it still made me blush. God it was hot in here.

"Will you help us?"

"I am glad that..." a lizzo song came on, Sersi was getting a phone call. She quickly got out her phone and hung up.

"Hey, whats your service? Im not getting any bars." Kingo whispers to her.

"Do you all remember this forest? Beautiful." He turns to me. I put my head down. "It was the last place we all lived together. I've protected these people for 20 generations now from the outside world and from themselves. Your kind, my friend, you will be responsible for your own extinction one day." He goes up to Kuran. "Dont you think?"

"I think we must learn from our mistakes and do better sir. You must not give up hope." Druig's eyes turned gold and made Kuran throw his camera at the wall.

"Oh no you didn't." Kingo stands up to Druig, done with his bs. "Okay new rule, no more possessing peoples valets."

"Oh where is your sense of humor Kingo?" He smiles, always picking a nerve, never changed.

"Im sorry sir." I comfort Kuran by rubbing his back and telling him it wasn't his fault.

"Don't apologize, its not your fault." He looks back at Druig. "You are not a god. You know that right?"

"How ironic. Kingo, the movie star." The way he said that made me forget to breathe. Celeste! Stop! You're in the middle of stopping the world by becoming a barbecue gone wrong and you're thinking about Druigs voice? Unprofessional. How dare you! Learn something from this!

"I've directed some things too."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" It was getting hard to breathe in here. The whispers.

"Some internet content."

"How many views?"

"I dont do it for the views." Lie but go on I guess. Ikaris sighs and walks away.

"Lets go. He's wasting our time."

"Ikaris." Druig turns to him. He still had that same smirk from the beginning. "I missed you. Are you going to charm me or threaten me?"

"I mean, theres a third option, if you prefer that." I rolled my eyes.

"It must be heartbreaking to find out that you're not mothers favorite."

"And im sure she'd be real proud of what you've been up to." I had enough. I stood up and got in between the men.

"How about we put away the measuring tape and focus on why we are here?" I turned to Druig, his eyes made me realize how much I've missed him.

"Druig, this is serious." Sersi stands up.

"Ill tell you what's serious." He turns to her, slowly looking away from me. "Ive just been told ive been sent on a suicide mission for the past 7000 years and that my entire existence is a lie. So excuse me for not giving a shit about your plan right now." He walks out of the shelter.

"Well?" Ikaris looks at me. "Go after him and Talk him out of it." I let out a huff and stood up.

"You're such a ass, no wonder Sersi moved on so quick." I charged out, slamming the doors behind me.

"She dated that dude, Matt is better." I heard Kingo say before i was far. I chased after Druig, going into what was our shared home. The place was dark and I knew he was there, looking, observing. I felt nervous, but a good kind? The dining table had one plate, one cup, filled with dust, my books were untouched, still in the same place after I left. I walked into the bedroom and saw that the bed was made, only my half, and a letter that was addressed in my name. I felt Druig stand behind me, feeling his chest against my back. His hand danced up my arm.

"My sweet, sweet Celeste." I closed my eyes. My heart started to beat faster. "Did you miss me?"

"No."

"Not even a little?" He whispers to my ear. "We both know thats a lie."

"Cant handle the truth Druig?" I looked at him with the corner of my eye.

"You couldn't handle certain parts of me." I blushed and pushed him back. "Im just saying." We were still close. He still looks handsome, eyes icy blue eyes were still icy, those lips. How could I not? "What are you thinking?" He caught me mid thought. But really, how do I start with saying that i miss him and I want punch him?

"Why wont you read my mind." I slipped out, closed my eyes. He didn't seem upset or angry with me, he was more hurt, with himself. "I didn't-"

"I learned my lesson." The silence was not awkward but there was a lot to say. "Im not going to help, you guys can stay till tomorrow morning. You can go back living your life with that guy."

"Have you been checking up on me?" I pinched my nose. He didn't say a word. "That day, I was walking with a guy, that was you." He nods.

"I wanted to see you. You looked happy, happier-"

"I was happier here, happier with you." I sighed. "You wouldve loved it there." I whispered to him, holding his face in my hands. Druig touched my hands. "But I should've stayed."

"No, I should've gone. Wherever you go, I go." We collided, foreheads touching. "You look so beautiful, everyone is so lucky to have you in their lives."

"You're just saying that because you want me to kiss you." He chuckles.

"Im sorry." He apologized. "All the words I said, it kept me up all night. I never forgive myself." He did look like he was about to cry. "Everyday I hoped that you'll come back, but I should-

"Dont blame yourself Druig. Im here now." He took a deep breath. I wiped his tear off his cheek.

"Im still not going to help them." I didn't care if he did or didn't. "Is that why you came here?" I played with his hair, knowing he loved that.

"No, i came here to tell you how much I missed you." I rolled my eyes as he chuckled. "For 203 years, I thought i had everything but all i wanted was you. You Druig are too hard to forget."

"I have that effect on people." I couldn't wait. I kissed him and pulled him back on the bed. Was there deviants and a celestial we need to stop and im kissing with Druig? Yes i am. Do I care? Not really. I took off his robe and his hand ran up my silk skirt. The power that Druig had over me, just one touch and im already all over him.

"Are we going to talk about that letter?" I pointed at the envelope on my side, on the nightstand.

"Just let me kiss you." His lips lingering over my neck and my eyes rolled back. Druig picks me up, setting me on his lap.

We heard screaming. We both pulled away and ran to the window. The citizens ran and the others were looking at what they were screaming about. I ran to get my boots and ran out of the house as I saw deviants. Druig got in front of me, pulls me back as we were too stunned at how big this deviant was. I had to help so i teleported in front of it.

"Celeste!" Druig yells as he saw me on the other side. I slid to the other side of the deviant, holding it back from the people.

"Kingo!" I tossed it to him to shoot at him.

"I wasn't ready!" He missed. I ran to keep Kuran and the others safe. One of them came at us and I protected us with a force field ball. I couldn't hold for any longer, so I pushed up and directed them to a safer location, to the river. I heard gunshots, i started to run back and saw Druig shooting at it. He mind controlled the others, shooting at it and getting killed by it. I ran to him, turning him to me, hands on his arms.

"Druig, you have to let them go." I pant, watching the deviant that Sersi trapped.

"Now is not the time Celeste." I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer.

"Please. You are better than this, I know." He didn't budge. "If you don't stop this, then I have to, dont make me." He stares at me, putting his hand in mine. "Innocent lives Druig. You're putting their lives in danger, you care about them, don't let them be killed." He puts his arm up and made them stop.

"Go! Get to the river!" He yells at them. Druig turns back to me and the deviant gets up, whips its tail at me making me fly back, rolling down a hill. "Cel!" I groaned as I hit a tree. I picked myself up and saw that it had Druig under it.

"No!" I appeared in-front of it, on top of Druig. He props himself up and watched me use my magic to stop it from killing him. My hands danced around making the deviant get away from him. "I got it!" I yelled as I told Druig to leave and help the others.

"Im not leaving you! Im not going to lose you again!"

"Go!" I pushed him away with other hand and sent the deviant away from here. I tossed magic into it, cutting it as I threw my arms left and right. I sliced its head off and sat down. I heard running and I put my hands up and ready to fight again. Druig stops and puts his hands up. "Dru..." he runs to me and pulls me closer to his chest.

"You killed it."

"It was going to kill you." He makes my look at him, my teary eyes looked up. "If I wasn't there-"

"You saved me." He kissed my forehead and we headed back. Kingo was covered in its blood, happened to me on the first time I killed one. "Celeste, you're bleeding." He touches my side. It could be my stitch that came undone or this new son of bitch gave me a new one. I pushed it aside and saw that Sersi made a deviant into what looked like tree. Never in my past years saw she's done that. That was new. Ikaris hops in the water and hugs her.

"Dru-" he sets me down pulls my shirt up. The stitch came undone. "I feel lightheaded."

"Sprite!" He calls. She came and stayed with me as Druig went for some supplies. "How did you get this nasty scar?"

"New York, deviant attacked me on my run."

"You did a awful job." I gripped onto his shoulder as he restitched me.

"Sorry I didn't call you. All I had was thread, sewing needle and a spoon." He frowns at the spoon. "I didn't want to wake the neighbors." I noticed that we had everyone but Thena and Gilgamesh. "Wheres Gil and Thena?" I turned to Ikaris who was there with them before it all went down. We hurried back and saw another deviant who was more advanced and Gilgamesh in Thenas arms. I stopped and gasp at the pale eternal. He cant be dying. "No." I cried on Druig's chest as Gilgamesh took his last breath and Thena crying to him. Not Gilgamesh. No. I lost my friend. All i think about Gilgamesh was how he was so caring to me, making me things like cookies or a craft just to see me smile, but now he's gone. How many more did we have to lose? At what cost?