Eternal Love [Druig]

Twenty-six

Paris
Two weeks later

"Paris." Druig said, squinting his eyes as he turned around. "Paris is not as wonderful as you had indicated, Ira." He took on an accusatory tone. "Someone has tried to pickpocket me three times in the last twenty minutes and I cannot say I am too fond of it."

They had been in Paris for just over a week now and it was safe to say that Ira was finding immense pleasure in showing Druig the wonders of the world. Before this, they had been in Madrid where Ira had shown Duig all the speakeasies he had visited and even went so far as to introduce him to some of his old friends that he knew he was never going to speak to again.

Ira laughed, a smile etched onto his face. The same smile that had been on his face for the past hour. In fact, it seemed nearly impossible to wipe it off as his gaze was focussed more on Druig exploring the area than his actual surroundings.

"I suppose it's a good thing you have nothing valuable on you then."

"The jacket is anything worth value to me." Druig shrugged, adjusting the way it fit over his shoulders with routine ease.

Ira laughed again, breathily.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Druig stilled his movements, coming back to face Ira, his face of slightly scared fascination replaced with a stone-cold seriousness. "You of course are included. If anyone were to try to pickpocket you away from me then I would say I have truly then lost someone valuable to me."

"That's not how this works." Ira's beaming face did not falter. If anything, it grew. "You know, sometimes I forget you've been sheltered from the modernized world for centuries. Pickpocketing involves the stealing of valuable items from another person in passing. If I get taken away from you that's called kidnapping. Now back to my point: Are you sure someone hasn't succeeded in stealing from you?"

"Of course not I-" Druig started, offended that Ira would even think such a thing. He stopped though as he started patting down his numerous pockets to make sure.

"Missing something?" Ira asked, smile turned low into a playful smirk.

Druig couldn't fight the smile that crept up onto his face and took up permanent residence. "What did you do." He smiled.

"You checked your front pocket one too many times. Subtle checks lead people on to you. Do it one too many times and they'll start targeting you." Ira held up an old worn trip shaped like a pyramid. It was small, no larger than the size of his largest knuckle. "You still have one of these after all these years?" Ira asked, placing the game piece back into Druig's awaiting palm.

"I told you how often I thought of you all those years ago," Druig said, turning the piece over across his fingertips. "The Royal Game of Ur." He mused. "Such an odd name but the game was weirdly addictive. I taught many of my people that, watched it spread down from generation to generation. It always did remind me of you." He said, tucking the piece into his pocket.

"Then I should introduce you to chess," Ira said as he took Druig's hand and started guiding him away from the heart of the city. "If it makes you feel any better," Ira said over his shoulder as the crowds around them thinned. "Everywhere I went, whether it be a small town or a popular town, I always found something that made me think of you. A certain scent, the view of a strikingly odd sunset that you always pointed out before the Eternals disbanded, even history textbooks. You were impossible to forget." Ira said.

"I do tend to have that effect on people." Druig mused, tilting his chin up as he looked down at Ira like the revelation gave him some sort of power. Maybe it did. Ira knew Druig for long enough now to know that the man could turn any comment into blackmail or twist it until it fit his own benefit.