Present Day - Westchester

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Rogue greeted you as you entered the living room with Druig in the mansion. "Where you been, sugar? We were about to send out the search parties."

You grinned as you hugged your friend. "Just saving the planet from total destruction, you know the usual."

"Who is your friend, Y/N?" Hank asked.

Professor Xavier had called you home a few days ago, when he had noticed the psychic disturbance in the Emergence. It hadn't taken him long to realize you were there. You had been anxious to return home. After all, before Druig, before the village, this had been your whole life. Druig had decided to come with you, and you were glad. You wanted him to see your life before him, who you were in this lifetime. You wanted him to know you fully.

"This is Druig," you introduced. "Druig, this is my family." Druig nodded at them as you introduced each of them.

"I don't like him," Logan crossed his arms.

You rolled your eyes. "That's Logan. Feel free to ignore him. His default setting is anger." Your friend glared at you, though you knew there was no real malice in it.

"Nice to meet you, Druig," Jean smiled.

"You as well," Druig nodded.

"Where you from, Druig? And how'd you meet our Y/N here?" Gambit eyed him suspiciously.

"He's a robot from outer space, and I met him in my past lifetimes," you deadpanned to Gambit.

They all just stared at you until Gambit let out a chuckle. "You sure know how to pick 'em, cherie," he said.

"The Professor is waiting for you," Jean told you. "He's in his office. We can catch up after."

You sighed. "I'm sure I'm in for a lecture," you said. You led Druig through the school, stopping periodically to great your students who remained during the break. So many of them had been abandoned by their families when their mutant powers manifested. Like it had been for you for so many years, this was their home.

"You're unusually quiet," you told Druig as you led him down the hall.

"I'm just thinking," he said. "Your life here, it's different than I thought it would be."

"What did you think it would be?"

He contemplated his answer. "I know you told me what happened with your family, but I didn't realize how much of a home this became for you."

You had a feeling you knew where this was going as you reached for his hand. He hadn't asked you directly yet, but you had seen the question in his eyes since the Emergence. Once this trip was over, he'd probably want to go back to the Amazon. He had humans to watch over after all. And you were never meant to stay there. Your plan had always been to return home, to your previous life. But now that you knew the truth, you weren't sure you could go back to your previous life, not without him at least.

"It did become my home, yes," you said quietly as you stopped in front of Professor X's door. But home isn't always a place, you wanted to say but before you could, the door opened.

Cyclops stepped out. "Y/N, finally back I see. Did you have a good trip?"

"It was enlightening," you said.

His gaze peered over to Druig. "Who's this?"

"Y/N, please come in," the professor called to you.

"I'll catch you later, Cyclops," you stepped around him, dragging Druig in behind you.

"Y/N, it is good to see you back and well," he smiled at you. "And you must be one of the Eternals."

"Druig," you supplied.

"Yes," Professor Xavier said. "I believe we all owe you a thank you for saving us from destruction."

"All in a day's work," Druig shrugged causing you to roll your eyes. Almost dying was not part of a normal day's work.

"You were supposed to be on vacation, Y/N and it seems you stumbled into quite an adventure. Come, tell me everything."

You explained all you could to your mentor. He sat quietly, taking in all you said. "I don't have much experience with past lives and reincarnation to say the least," he said contemplatively. "But this gives me much to ponder on."

"I was hoping you'd have some kind of explanation," you admitted. "The reincarnation is one thing, but to be put in their path in what seems to be every life seems...cosmic."

"I agree," he said. "This Ikaris thwarted destiny at every turn. Perhaps fate needed to play out. It is impossible to know." Professor Xavier stared at you for a moment.

"You know, I think the students will miss you quite a bit, Y/N. I know the rest of us will," he sent to your mind.

You had learned not to be surprised by his powers long ago, and you weren't surprised he had surmised what you were planning. "I'll miss you too," you sent back. "Thank you. For everything."

Professor X looked at Druig. "It was very nice to meet you. Perhaps you can return some time? I'd love to hear more about your adventures with the Eternals."

Druig nodded. "I am very interested in learning about this school as well," he said. He hesitated for a moment, looking at you. Now that surprised you. Druig was usually not hesitant. "I would also like to thank you, for taking care of her, for allowing her to cross my path again. I confess, I was trying to avoid it from happening again. I couldn't bear to lose her again. But I see now she was always meant to come."

Professor Xavier smiled. "Fate usually gets it's way in the end. Perhaps it was always leading here."

•••

You took him on a tour of the grounds. "Are you okay?" You asked quietly. He didn't seem to be paying much attention, lost in thought.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

You sighed. "I can tell you're lying," you said, stopping and turning to look at him. You softly touched his face. "Tell me, please."

He closed his eyes to lean into your touch for a moment. "I think the professor was wrong."

"About which part?"

"I don't think it was fate just playing out," he said. "I think you were made for me, just as I was made for you. My salvation in the darkness."

You smiled at him. "I think you're right. But that's a happy thought, isn't it?" You stepped forward, wrapping your arms around his neck as you gazed up at him. "Soulmates in any lifetime."

He sighed. "I don't know how I am to go back to what I was before."

"What do you mean? Before what?" You asked.

"Before you came back into my life," he said. "I don't belong in this world, my beautiful Y/N. I know this is your home and I can't ask you to just leave it. But I don't think I know how to survive without you now that I've found you again."

"Druig," you smiled. "You don't have to ask me."

"What?"

"I'm not staying here," you said. "That's what this trip was about. Professor X was making sure I was okay, and he wanted to know what had happened. But he also wanted to say goodbye."

"What?" He asked again.

You laughed. He had seemed so confident before, when he was trying to keep you at arm's length, before he let you in. You found it slightly offensive he was scared you'd leave him now. As if you could leave him now. For the first time in your life, you felt complete. You had been happy here, in New York, but you'd never felt finished. You'd always felt something was missing. And now you knew. Your heart had been hidden away, deep within the Amazon. You couldn't let it go now.

You leaned up to kiss him lightly. "I'm not staying," you said again. "I figured we could take the long way round back to your village, maybe see the world first. If you'd have me, I mean."

"You want to go with me?" he asked, a small smirk coming to his lips. He leaned in to kiss you again, a million emotions expressed as his lips pressed to yours. "My beautiful Y/N, I'm almost afraid this is a dream, that I will wake up, and fate will have taken you away from me again," he confessed.

You smiled at him as he pressed his forehead to yours. "The nightmare is over, Druig. I will not leave you again. I have loved you for so many lifetimes, and I will love you for however many more I have. Wherever we go, we go together."

"Together," he sighed, almost as if a promise to himself. "I'll hold you to that."

And he kissed you again.

•••

Author's note:

Finally done! Thank you so much for reading! I can't say I'm super proud of this epilogue but I was struggling lol I wanted to bring the X-men in since I reference them so much but I wanted them to kind of talk about the fate stuff and professor Xavier is perfect for that convo don't you think??

I hope you guys enjoyed this story thank you so much for reading and for sticking with me through my long hiatuses on this! Let me know what you thought!

Also! Im thinking I may be doing like a side piece for Death or Paradise, like moments I wanted to include but couldn't because of time and/or story flow. And I may be doing some one shots if you have any requests let me know!

I'm not quite planning another full story right now. I may in the future if I get any ideas though!

Thank you!

Title credit - London Boy by Taylor Swift