Fourth time
Do we come to live in vain,
to sprout on the earth?
Let's at least leave flowers
Let's at least leave songs
You smiled when the bird landed on your hand and recited the beautiful verses to you. You knew perfectly well what part of the world they came from, Tenochtitlán.
The mythical city had captured your attention from the moment Tlaloc had first spoken to you. For your eternal teammates, caring for humans and the thousands of deities they had was useless and ridiculous. But you didn't think so, actually, you found it fascinating.
The idea that there was someone greater than you, someone, with the power to take but also to give, who carried with them the duality of life and death, was as terrifying as it was comforting. It was the fear of not being completely in control, but the hope that there was something more, of returning to a home you had never known.
It was no different from what Arishem and Olympia were to you.
But you weren't planning on getting into arguments with Ikaris for saying that. For him, humans were inferior, insignificant beings who had little or nothing in common with the Eternals. But as the centuries passed, the more you convinced yourself that it was the opposite.
There was a bit of eternality in humans...or maybe, there was something human in you.
That is why you were so fascinated by human creations and beliefs. There was something warm about them, a longing you shared, even if you didn't fully understand it, and the feeling only grew with Tlaloc.
Your water powers and the ability to talk to animals had long since merged. Now you were able to talk to the water itself. It had been a beautiful discovery, one that you kept secret from yourself. You didn't know why, but you felt that this...this was yours and yours alone.
Water, a tireless traveler that embraces the entire planet, had told you the wonders it had. Some things you had lived yourself, others you did not remember, and some more surprised you. Like tenochtitlán.
The liquid of life told you the religious way in which they venerated not only it, but also the sun, the moon, the air, the fire. Humans were in awe of the world around them. They had even given it a name! A funny one that it liked. So you decided to call it Tlaloc too, even if it wasn't what the stories told.
Every day, the water told you everything about the world, which helped a lot when it came to finding deviants (although you would have to find more excuses if you didn't want others to be suspicious of the way you always knew where to go). But your favorite stories were those of the mythical city.
There was something beautiful in its words and rituals. And then Tlaloc told you about the stars.
It told you that when night came, the sky was filled with bright lights that gave a beautiful show, and that it was sure that the stars kissed the pyramid every night. It was a wonderful idea that never left your mind.
You wanted to see the stars in Tenochtitlán. At least just once. If possible with Ajak.
"I knew you would be here"
You smiled. The bird looked over your shoulder at the visitor, clearly not used to the woman the way you were.
"You cheat" you said "I'm always here"
Ajak chuckled lightly before sitting down next to you. The bird in your hand looked at her for a moment before flying to her and standing on her shoulder.
"Stories day?" she asked
"Poems" you corrected
"oh really?...something interesting to share?"
"...not really" you decided that that was also just for you.
Ajak didn't seem very convinced, but she nodded and remained silent, accepting that you had your secrets. She didn't have to know everything that was going through your mind to love you with all of her being. At that moment, what mattered to her was being with you. Arishem knew that you two didn't have too many of these precious moments alone.
The woman silently pulled you into her arms, smiling when your head found its way to her chest almost automatically. Your hands wrapped around her waist and the bird flew away moments later. You two watched it until it disappeared over the horizon.
"back to home" you whispered "where he belongs"
"We will too" she replied "someday"
"I'm already where I belong" you said, kissing her neck to prove your point.
Ajak laughed before pulling away a bit so she could look into your eyes. She never got tired of that, of seeing the shine in your eyes, one that not even the passing of the years had been able to turn off.
"Ajak?"
"Yes?"
"...can we go to Tenochtitlán?" you asked
The woman blinked at the sudden change, but she thought about it for a moment. Although she had no idea of your conversations with Tlaloc, she did know of your recent fascination with the place, and although she was aware that her mission was not to walk the earth for pleasure, she would do anything to make you happy.
"Yes, Y/N, we will...someday" she promised.
You smiled and gave her a sweet little kiss before burying your face back into her neck.
"When we go...will you see the stars with me?" you whispered "I heard they kiss the pyramid every night"
"Sounds beautiful" she replied "I would love to see that with you"
_______________________
Ajak had every intention of keeping her promise. None of you knew when it would be, it could be hundreds of years, but it didn't matter. No matter how many deviants you had to face or how much work you had, time was what you Eternals had.
Until you didn't have it anymore.
