Amazon 2023 - Druig

Druig wasn't sure it was you at first. He didn't really want to believe it when you had stumbled into his compound with an injured ankle. He had tried to keep his distance as his healers worked on your leg. He didn't want to confirm it. He had promised himself, when he had last seen you in 1521, that he would stay away. He would never put either of you through it again. He would never have to suffer you dying in his arms again.

But he couldn't stay away. He needed to know. His chest had tightened from the moment you had stepped in his compound, and he knew it wouldn't lessen until he knew. It was when he saw your eyes for the first time that he regretted walking over to the medical tent. Your eyes had met his, scared and in pain, and he knew he was done for.

After 500 years, you had come into his life again. His vixen, his muse, his life. You looked a bit different this time, but then, you always did. In every lifetime, your face was just a bit different, your features suited to whatever culture you had been born into in that life. But your eyes were always the same. Your soul was always the same. He would know you anywhere.

He couldn't do this again. He couldn't go through this pain. He needed to keep his distance. It was the only way to protect you, he reasoned. He had tried it before, a few lifetimes ago. He had tried to just watch you from afar, to not get close to you, to not let you fall in love with him again. But you had once again broken through his barriers in a way only you could, and he found himself in your heart again. As if he was in the very make up of you soul. He had thought maybe he could try to protect you if he told you why you needed to stay away from him, but you hadn't cared. You wanted to risk it, for him. He shouldn't have let you. But his heart was weak for you, and in the end, his heart had broken once again, when he held your lifeless body in his arms.

He wouldn't make that mistake again. He wouldn't let you fall in love with him. He wouldn't watch you die again. He couldn't. He listened quietly as his healers told you that you needed to rest the ankle for two weeks. You had asked if you could stay here, as you were backpacking across the Amazon during your summer vacation and they were so far from civilization. He wanted to say no. He wanted to send you on your way, and never see you again.

"You can stay here for the two weeks while your ankle heals," he found himself saying instead. "But then you must go."

He turned and walked away, ignoring your timid gratitude behind him. This was a bad idea. He shouldn't have said that. He should have sent you away immediately. But you were hurt, and his heart was still weak for you. He'd let you heal, and then he'd send you away. Then he'd know you were safe at least. In the mean time, he just needed to keep his distance from you.

•••

Babylon 525 BC

The humans were annoying him. They were fighting amongst themselves on whose land was biggest, and well, Druig just wanted some peace and quiet. It had been such a long day. He looked at them and his eyes shone gold as the humans all slapped themselves before walking away from where he was sitting.

"I saw that," a quiet voice said. He turned to see you standing a few feet away from him, hanging your wet sheets on a drying line. He had seen you a few times around the town, but he'd never heard your voice.

"What did you see?" He smirked at you.

"You did that, didn't you? You made them slap themselves and leave," you said as you put your hands on your hips.

"And if I did?"

"Some of the villagers say you're a God," you looked at him thoughtfully, as if sizing him up.

"Do they?" his smirk grew. He was very happy with this information.

"Some also say you're a demon," you quipped right back.

"What do you say?" he asked you.

"I think those idiots would never have shut up if you hadn't stopped them," you said and he laughed.

He stood up from his spot and walked over to you, staring at you in between your flowing sheets. "And what do they call you?" he asked. He normally did not care for the humans. He never bothered to learn their names or interact with them the way the others did. But there was something about you that called to him, deep in his soul.

"Will you make me slap myself as well if I don't tell you?" You asked, a small smirk on your face.

"I could control you to tell me," he said quietly, though he realized he didn't want to. He wanted you to offer that to him yourself. He had never felt that way for a human before.

"I'll tell you of my own free will if you promise to never use your power on me," you said.

"Very well, I promise," he said, and was surprised that he actually meant it. What was happening to him?

You told him your name and he smiled at you. "It is very nice to meet you. Now tell me, of your own free will, it seems your clothes are all hung. Will you come walk with me?"

"I'm supposed to help my mother cook dinner now," you told him and he nodded, keeping his face neutral at your rejection. He started to turn to walk away but you stopped him, your hand on his arm. "Perhaps tomorrow?"

"Very well then," his smile was wide as he looked at you again. "I will see you tomorrow."

•••

Amazon 2023 - Druig

It annoyed him how easily you seemed to fit in with his people. Though you were essentially invalid with your ankle, the next morning, you had asked them to help you to another hut where some of the women were cooking so that you could help them. He watched with agitation as they laughed with you as you learned to make the bread with them. He didn't want you to fit into his little world here. He wanted you to get better and be on your way, forgetting about him and this place as quickly as possible. But it seemed you were making friends.

"Are you alright, Druig?" Carlos, one of the villagers, asked him.

"I'm fine," he said before sighing. "No, I'm not. What is she doing?"

Carlos followed his gaze to you and looked back at Druig in confusion. "Miss Y/N asked this morning if she could help with anything around the village. The healers had told her no, that she should rest, but she insisted. That was the only thing she could do without walking on her ankle."

Druig grunted. Of course you had insisted. It seemed the stubbornness was a common trait through every single one of your lifetimes. As if you could feel his gaze on you, you lifted your head in his direction and met his eyes. You smiled at him, and he knew you were trying to be friendly. He had let you stay after all. But he didn't want you to be friendly. He didn't want you to feel anything towards him. He scowled and turned away, storming back to his hut. He ignored the genuine confusion on your face at his expression.

•••

"Who was that?" You asked your new friend, Frieda, as she took the latest rolled dough from you. She'd been helping you all morning, showing you how to roll the dough correctly.

"Hm?" She said as she followed your gaze to Druig's retreating form. "Oh, that's Druig. He's the leader of the village."

"He doesn't seem to like me very much," you said quietly.

"I wouldn't think too much into it," she said. "He likes to keep to himself most of the time. No, you're doing it wrong. You must pay attention. You're pushing too hard."

"Sorry," you said as you tried to correct your movements. But your mind was still on the mysterious leader. He had let you stay while your ankle healed and you were very grateful for it. You'd hiked quite a ways before you stumbled onto this village. You weren't even sure how you'd made it here after you'd fallen and hurt your ankle. But you were sure you weren't going to be able to hike back anywhere until it healed. Druig had been otherwise cold to you since you'd arrived, and you were sure you'd felt him watching you a few times. Maybe it was your imagination, but you had a feeling it was not.

What the villagers did not know was that you were a mutant, a professor at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters currently on a sabbatical to explore more of the world. Your power wasn't as strong enough to be part of the X-men, but that was okay with you. You were okay being in the background, happy to help the young mutants in a world where they had been so cruelly discriminated against. You needed physical touch to be able to use your power. You would catch glimpses of the future when you touched someone. You couldn't always control it, sometimes they just came to you.

That was how you had known Frieda would be your new friend. You had seen it when she had touched your hand while showing you how to knead the dough. And that was how you knew you weren't thinking too much into it. Because you had seen Druig in a few of these glimpses throughout the morning, and while he had been distant or quiet, he only seemed cold to you. You just weren't sure why.

•••

Babylon 525 BC

He had been nervous to bring you to meet the others. He hadn't told you outright, but he knew that you could tell. You'd been out a few times, always spending most of the day together until you had to go do your chores. He had even gone with you a few times to help you, just so he could spend more time with you. It was terrifying how quickly he had fallen for you.

The others had noticed a change in him, though they hadn't brought it up outright at first. He knew he seemed different, happier, more content. He enjoyed spending time with you. He liked that you challenged him. Your conversations with him were always so easy and fascinating. You had gotten him to open up in a way he had never experienced. Not even Makkari was able to break through his walls in the same way. It was she who brought it up to him first.

"I want to meet her," she signed at him when he came back to the Domo one day, after seeing you.

"Meet who?" he signed back.

"The girl who is making you smile all the time. I want to meet her."

"There is no girl," he insisted. He was not ready to share you yet. He wanted your attention only on him.

"Liar. Kingo saw you in the market yesterday."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll ask her."

Makkari grinned at him and sped off, probably to tell Kingo the news. The two gossiped like two old hens honestly. Druig sighed. He was torn. He was falling in love with you. You held his heart already. And he wanted you to meet his family, even if he didn't always agree with them. But on the other hand, you were human. And none of them had ever had anything serious with humans. He knew what they would say, what they all knew. It was a bad idea to get involved with humans. Humans died so easily. They had trysts, but that was all. And you were not a tryst to him. He knew he wouldn't have you forever. He's already been on this planet for 4500 years, and he'd be on it until every Deviant was defeated and they were called home to Olympia. But the pain of losing you, he knew it would be worth having this time with you, even if it was only a few years. He was not sure the others would understand.

You had been excited to meet the others. You had only seen them from afar, you'd never met any of them. Everyone in the village knew of the powerful beings that came to your village with Druig, that fought and protected you from the Deviants. They moved through the village, sometimes interacting with the villagers. But you'd never gotten the chance. It would be an honor to meet them, you told him.

He held your hand as he led you into the Domo. The first time he had held your hand, when you had let him, he had been giddy at the electricity that had run through his skin at your touch. You had smiled at him, your eyes bright as always. He tried to hold your hand now every change he got.

The others were in the living space, waiting for you. Druig cleared his throat as you approached and their eyes all turned towards you. Druig instinctively took a small, discreet step to shield you slightly, but you smiled and put your other hand on his arm to assure him you were okay.

He introduced them to you one by one. You smiled at each of them. They were all much friendlier than Druig had led you to believe, even Ikaris had nodded at you. Kingo was eyeing you peculiarly.

"I gotta ask, what's wrong with you?" he asked finally.

"What?" you asked, as Druig tensed beside you.

"I've seen you in the village. You're all smiles all the time," he said. "I don't think Druig knows how to smile. He's more of the dark brooding type." Makkari smacked him. "Ow, I was just kidding!" Kingo glared at her.

You laughed and Druig loosened up again. You squeezed his hand.

•••

Amazon 2023 - Druig

They had put you in the hut next to his. He wasn't happy about it. He had seen Frieda and her brother, Pedro, help you to the hut. He had bristled when he saw Pedro's arm around you to bear your weight as you walked. He didn't want anyone touching you. Before he realized what he was doing, he was already standing in front of you, blocking your path. He glared at Pedro. "I'll take her," he said.

"Are you sure, Druig? It is no trouble," Frieda said.

"I'll take her," he said again. The siblings exchanged a look before nodding and letting you go, handing you to Druig. You gasped when he grabbed your hand to put around his shoulders. You lost your bearing and would have fallen if Druig had not caught you. "You're very clumsy."

You were suddenly breathing heavy, looking at him strangely. He couldn't quite figure out that look, not on this face, not in this body. You were always the same, but you were also always different. In every lifetime, he had enjoyed getting to know you again. But this time, he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Are you going to be able to make it?" He said, masking his concern with annoyance. He didn't want you to know he cared. He had realized that if he was cold to you, if he was distant, you wouldn't have a chance to fall for him again. And maybe then, you wouldn't have to die so young again.

"I just—yeah," you said as your breathing regulated again. He nodded and wrapped his arm around your waist as he led you to your hut.

He silently helped you to your bed, and then turned to leave. He didn't want to speak to you. He didn't want to hear your voice. Not when it would already haunt his dreams. But you seemed to have other plans.

"Thank you, Druig," you said quietly.

"Don't thank me," he said coldly, not turning around. "The sooner you get better, the sooner you can leave."

He stormed out before you could say another word.

•••

You laid in your bed, kept awake by your thoughts. When Druig had touched you, you had seen the future. It had come on so suddenly, it had taken your breath away. Because you hadn't just seen his future. You had seen yours as well. You had seen him kissing you, holding you close to him. You had seen unabashed, inexplicable, unconditional love in his gaze on you.

You'd never been wrong before. Your visions, however dark or strange, they always came true. You didn't just see a version of the future. You saw the one of the path you were on. And the path you were on, somehow, was leading you to Druig. You didn't understand. Druig obviously did not like you. He was ready for you to leave as soon as you could. Why would he kiss you? Why was he looking at you like you hung the moon and the stars? It didn't make sense. How could that be your future?

•••

Babylon 525 BC

Druig walked to your family's stable. You had told him to meet you there this morning. You were free today, your mother had reprieved you of chores for the day and he had promised to take you to the waterfall outside of the village. You had been so excited when he told you.

The stable was quiet when he got there. He decided he'd wait for you inside. He was excited for today as well. He was going to tell you he loved you today, for the first time. He knew your parents did not really approve of you spending so much time with him without a promise of marriage. It was improper, even if they believed the Eternals Gods. And today, he was going to rectify that. He was going to ask you to marry him.

He knew he wouldn't have forever with you. You would be gone in a few years, and he would have to live on. But you had carved a place in his heart, and he knew you'd always be there. He wanted to spend the rest of your life with you. Even if the thought of losing you pained him. He wanted to spend every second before that with you.

He walked into the stable and froze. You were lying on the ground, your eyes open and empty. There was a sword wound in your chest, the sand below you dark with your blood. He ran to you, his heart clenching in his chest as he fell to his knees, cradling you. He felt the tears running down his face as he pressed his forehead to yours. Your skin was cold to his touch. You had been dead for hours. How? How could this happen? Who could have done this?

He was supposed to spend the rest of your life with you. He was supposed to have years with you, loving you. Now, now you were gone. And he was alone, left to carry on without you. The pain in his chest was even greater than he could have imagined.

Authors note

Hi! Thanks for reading the first chapter of my new story! I hope you liked it!! I wasn't going to post this yet until I was almost done with death or paradise but I got too excited don't judge me lmao

Just a few things. It's going to have a lot of time jumps and POV changes between Y/N and Druig. When it is a different time period, I will label it like that. If there is no header for a section, that part is in the Amazon in present MCU time unless otherwise stated. I wrote Amazon 2023 in this one since it's the first chapter and I didn't have a chance to explain yet. Like if they go somewhere else which they will eventually! All of the flashbacks are in Druig's POV, and the sections with no header are Y/N.

Let me know if this is too confusing as you read it so I can figure out a different way to do it! Thanks!

I think each chapter is gonna time jump to a different time period. Like this chapter was just Babylon, next one will be the next lifetime, and then the following chapter will be the next lifetime. At least that's how I have it planned out. But if you've read any of my fics before you know my stories don't always go according to plan lol

I'm not sure if I'm gonna do smut in this yet. I guess we'll see as we go. I'll change the rating if needed.

Anyways hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought!!

Title Credit - Afterlife by Hailee Steinfeld