𝑅𝐸𝑀𝐸𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 𝑀𝐸 | druig

𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

The villagers nodded at Druig in greeting as the two passed through, everyone getting ready for the celebration of Andres' life that was to be held later in the afternoon. Druig told Nita that he decided it'd be best for it all to happen before dark as it would be too dangerous for everyone to be out once the sun went down.

They didn't speak until they cleared the village, now walking down toward the river's edge. Nita's chest squeezed a little as her memory went back to the last time she was at the river. The time in which freedom was almost in her grasp only to be violently ripped away from her, Andres' life along with it.

Druig slowed his pace, falling into step beside her. He kept his squinted gaze ahead as the bright, warm sun shone down on them.

"How are you feeling today?" He finally spoke, looking down at her as they walked leisurely, no destination to be reached.

Nita lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. "Physically or mentally?" She asked, half joking as they both knew she had acquired quite a burden on all fronts.

The corner of Druig's mouth twitched up a little. "Both," he said.

Nita sucked in a breath, knowing that if she were to tell him the truth, she'd be talking for hours so she settled on a single word. "Fine."

Druig chuckled and it caught her by surprise so she shot him a confused glare. "Here's something to know about me, my dearest Benita," he said, a small smile still painted on his handsome face.

"What's that?" She asked, unable to contain the upward twitch of her lips at his sudden giddy behavior.

Druig stopped, turning his whole body to face her, almost making her want to back up into the water to get away from his intimidating stance. His smile vanished but the playful look remained in his mesmerizing eyes. "The one thing that I cannot stand above all else is little liars," he said, whispering the last word as he leaned down next to her ear. He pulled back and continued, "Because with my abilities that you seem to loathe with your whole being, the truth always comes out, whether you have accepted it or not." And with that, Nita had the sudden feeling that he wasn't just talking about how she was currently feeling.

The energy around them seemed to change drastically. It became more full and heavy, almost like the kind of energy she felt the previous night in the moon pool but not as intense and not as intimate.

Her heart was beating erratically, both with his deepening stare on her and from the memories of the moonpool that came flooding back. Her face began to heat, not only because of the blazing sun, and almost her entire body began to pulse. Entire body. Even parts of her that had only previously pulsed for Andres. Was it because of the heat? Her emotional rollercoaster ride of the last couple days? Or was it solely because of him? But with him standing as close to her as he was, watching as his eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips to her neck then back up to her eyes as if savoring every inch of her, she knew her mind wouldn't settle. So, she turned on her heel and continued walking. In a few short strides, Druig was right back at her side.

"I'll ask again," he said. "How are you feeling?"

Nita kept her gaze straight ahead, her arms crossed over her chest as if to somehow calm her untamed heart. "Physically, I'm feeling a lot better. My rib doesn't hurt as much," she said truthfully.

"Mentally?" He asked. Internally, she cringed as she was silently praying he wouldn't ask and just move on. But at the same time, she was not surprised that he did.

Nita took in a slow breath, pondering on her response, gazing out at the lapping waves of the river.

"Mentally... I'm tired. I'm confused. I'm angry–" a single tear dropped from her eye. "I feel like... I feel like I'm breaking. And I don't know how much more of this I can take before I'm broken beyond repair. And I know everybody keeps saying to me that it wasn't my fault. But it was, Druig. It was," she said, her voice cracking at the end as she couldn't help herself when she looked up at him, the sun directly behind his head casting a halo of light around his dark hair. It made him look like a God. A beautiful God.

Druig's eyebrows slightly pulled together as he took in her words and knew that at this point, there was nothing he could say to change her thoughts. She had survivor's guilt, something he had been living with for centuries from the things he has witnessed and been a part of. So, instead of trying to tell her she's wrong, he lifted his hands, placing them firmly on either side of her face, forcing her to look up at him.

"I understand, more than anyone ever will, Benita. I do. And it's not going to go away any time soon. You're going to have to live with it for the rest of your life," he said and then dropped his head a few inches so he was at eye level with her. "But you need to understand this; you don't have to live through it alone. Just like I no longer have to. And that's only if you want it."

Nita knew exactly what he meant as it was something she'd been thinking about a lot the last couple of days. She had spent at least half of her life hating every single part of him. But in the last couple of days, he had managed to completely spin her view of him in a complete 180.

She didn't know the exact moment that her feelings for him flipped and maybe there isn't one. Maybe, it was a gradual process, starting from when he saved her that night. And then when she learned he was willing to let her leave to be free. Followed by taking her to the moonpool where she felt the most at peace with herself than she ever had.

Her mind, though, was still an utter disaster of confusion. But one thing she was sure of at that moment, was that she didn't want to go through it all alone, not when she didn't have to. And before her stood a man who she knew would never, for the rest of her life, allow her to feel that way if she were to accept it.

Nita's chest rose and fell with each strong breath she took, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Okay," she whispered, keeping her eyes glued to his.

And that's when she saw it; something completely shifted in his eyes. Like some sort of barricade cracking and then breaking from the single word she spoke. She then realized that everything she was thinking, he was thinking and feeling, too. Like a mirrored image of herself. And that thought was like a sudden magnet, drawing her closer to him. She didn't think or try to stop herself as her body slowly drifted forward. When her eyes fluttered closed and her lips titled up. She didn't think at all when her lips gently brushed his and he didn't pull away, only pressed against her a little harder as if testing to make sure this was something she wanted.

When Nita didn't pull away, Druig smiled against her lips, curling the fingers of one hand around her neck while his other arm snaked around her back, gently pulling her closer to him.

Pure electricity. That's what Nita felt as Druig held her in his arms, his lips moving in beautiful harmony with hers. All of her veins and nerves were electric wires, coursing through body, pumping that electricity to her heart, making it go into overdrive. Reviving her.

His lips brought back a feeling that she thought she'd never feel again. The feeling of worth. Being worth something to someone in a way that wasn't a given birthright like that of her family. This was earned. This was built upon from nothing and then became what it was they shared. And she wanted to completely melt into him because of that. Finally letting her true feelings take control.

Nita pulled away first so she could breathe, now almost gasping for air. But she didn't pull away from him completely as he still held her firm in his arms.

"That felt a little wrong," she said and Druig froze.

"That's not what someone likes to hear after a first kiss, milady," he said and her cheeks instantly flared in embarrassment.

"That's not what I meant," she said with a breathless laugh. "That felt right. So incredibly right. But today's supposed to be about Andres and here I am in the arms of the man we were supposed to hate for eternity."

Despite himself, Druig hesitantly released her, taking a step back. "You're right," he said. "I apologize. We should head back as the celebration will be starting soon."

Nita looked at him and nodded, taking in another deep breath as she still felt like she wasn't getting enough air. As Druig went to turn back toward the village, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Before he had the chance to say anything, she reached up on the balls of her feet and brushed her lips against his one last time, promising him that this wasn't a fleeting feeling. She was wholeheartedly in.

She gently nodded once and then said, "It's right."

Druig's features eased, almost unable to pull his eyes away from her face. "Most certainly."