Present Day - Druig

He had dreamt of you last night, in Rome when he had found you as the daughter of the leader of a dance troupe. He had taken you to the beach, wanting to get out of the town, away from anyone who could see you, who could take you away from him. In the end, it hadn't mattered. You'd been taken from him anyway. Murdered by your jealous fiancé.

But Druig made a mistake last night. He was still reeling from the feel of your skin on his. He had been careless, and so pulled into his own dreams, his memories, that he hadn't protected you from his mind before he slept. He was sure he had projected his dream to you.

He watched you that morning as he silently walked you over to Frieda. You made no indication you'd even seen the dream. You seemed lost in your own thoughts, your eyebrows furrowed as you made no attempt to speak to him. That was odd. You always tried to talk to him.

He looked over at you. "Did you sleep well?" He asked. He needed to know if you'd seen it. Sometimes, in your past lives, when he showed you his memories, you wouldn't remember them, but you would remember the feeling. They would seem familiar to you. He couldn't risk that this time. He couldn't attach you to him in any way. The best thing for you would be if you left here and never looked back. If you never remembered him. Maybe he could save you then.

"What? Oh yes," you said. "And you?"

He nodded. He always slept well when he dreamt of you. The peace he felt with you, even in his memories, compared to nothing else. He was unsure how to ask if you'd seen it in your dreams. He couldn't bring too much suspicion to it. With how inquisitive you were, he knew you'd push and prod until you found out, until you knew too much.

Too soon, before he had figured out how, you had reached Frieda and the girl pulled you away from him. He sighed as he turned and walked away to attend to his own business for the day. He decided he'd watch you today, closer than usual, to figure it out instead.

•••

Scandinavia 200 AD

This time, it was Kingo who saw you first. They had gone to stave off a Deviant attack outside the village. The others had already sought shelter, but you were on your way back to the village. You didn't know the Deviants were there. Kingo had told him one of them had almost gotten you, but he had blasted it away. It was when he spoke to you, asking if you were alright, that he had seen it. After all, you and Kingo had been friends once, in Babylon.

"Leave her alone," Druig said quietly when Kingo suggested they invite you to dinner.

"What? But Druig, it's her, I'm sure of it," Kingo said.

Druig had no doubt it was you, back to haunt him. He'd known it without even seeing you.But he couldn't lose you again. He'd rather pass by your life, than watch you die again. He was convinced now that he brought nothing but calamity to you.

"I don't care," he told Kingo.

"But you love her," Kingo said in exasperation. "Man, this is your opportunity. Don't you miss her?"

Druig tensed. Of course he missed you. He needed you, like he needed air. But he had learned his lesson. He couldn't have a taste of you, so short a time, only to have you taken from him again. You wouldn't die so young this time. He would make sure you lived until you were old and grey and had lived a full life, without him. You didn't need him. All he brought you was death.

"Leave him alone, Kingo," Ajak said, her tone sympathetic.

Druig looked at her gratefully before he stood up, walking out of the lab. "Druig, some of the Vikings were just questioning our involvement here," Ikaris said, passing him on his way in. "I think they need another dose of your mind control."

Druig simply nodded and continued on his way. He'd stick to the mission this time, and only the mission. He refused to become involved with you again.

•••

Present Day

You couldn't get the dream out of your head as you helped Frieda hang the wet clothes. It had felt so real, as if you were actually sitting on a beach with Druig somewhere, promising to spend every lifetime with him. You didn't even believe in reincarnation. And the way you were dressed. You knew it wasn't a vision. It almost felt like a memory more than a dream. But that didn't make sense. You would have remembered that.

"You seem distracted today," Frieda said. "Did you not sleep well?"

You winced. "No, I slept fine." Because you had. You'd slept more peacefully than you had in a long time. The dream that had spun itself in your mind had been so calming to you.

"Then what is it?"

"Have you ever had a dream you couldn't get out of your mind? That just felt so real, it felt like a memory?" you asked her. She looked at you questioningly. "Never mind. I suppose I'm just tired still."

She looked at you thoughtfully for a second. "They say when you can't get a dream out of your mind, it is the Gods sending you a vision."

You laughed nervously, though it rang hollow even to your ears. It wasn't unusual for you to be plagued by your visions in the night though you knew it was not the Gods, but your own power. They often manifested in your dreams, when you had less control. "It wasn't a vision, trust me. There's no way that could ever happen," you told her.

"What was the dream?" She asked. You thought you saw her eyes flash gold for a moment, but it was so brief and so quick, you weren't sure.

"It's silly," you said. You didn't want her to know you'd been dreaming of Druig.

"Tell me," she prompted. "Perhaps there is a meaning I can help you see."

You sighed. "I was sitting on a beach, but what I was wearing, the things I was saying," you shook your head. "It doesn't make sense."

"Were you alone?" She asked. She seemed tense as she asked, but you weren't sure why.

"No," you said. You didn't tell her it was Druig by your side on the beach. You couldn't. You didn't understand it yourself yet.

"Perhaps you should not dwell too much on this dream," she said. "It is just a dream after all. The subconscious can play tricks on you."

"I thought you said it was the Gods sending me a vision," you joked.

She was quiet for a moment. "Maybe not all visions are good," she said finally. "Maybe sometimes they are warnings."

"It didn't feel like a warning," you said. "I don't know, I can't explain it. Something about it was so familiar, you know?"

"You should forget the dream, Y/N," she said more urgently.

You didn't think it would be that easy.

•••

Scandinavia 200 AD

He had decided to watch you, from afar. Because the truth was he still needed you. He would always need you. You were the best part of him, the only part he couldn't live without. He knew he couldn't risk you seeing him though. He didn't want to know you. He didn't want you to know him. Druig knew you'd be taken from him then, and he couldn't bear it, not again.

And so he just watched you as you went about your day, meeting your friends, helping the other villagers. You were always laughing, always smiling. Your face looked different in this life, but then, it always did. Still, you were the most beautiful thing in the universe to him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he lost sight of you. He looked around anxiously, wondering where you'd gone off to.

"You're following me," a quiet voice said from behind him.

He turned quickly, only to be met by your eyes. There was a knowing gleam to them as you smirked at him. "No I'm not," he said quickly.

"You are," you smirked wider. "You're Druig, one of the Gods who are supposed to save us. But you were at the market yesterday, and then the shipyard before that. I've seen you watching me."

"I'm not watching you," he tried to say. But it sounded weak and unconvincing even to his own years. "I just — happened to be there."

"You know I'm a Viking, right?" You laughed. "We're training very early on to be aware of our surroundings, and so I have seen you following me for the past several days and watching me. Do you want to tell me why?"

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes boring into yours. He liked that you were still just as clever, just as sharp in any life time. He loved that you called him out. You weren't afraid to challenge him. That seemed to be a quality that broke through every life time.

"You remind me of someone I used to know," he said quietly.

"Who?" you asked.

That forced him to freeze. He'd never had to explain you — to you. He didn't even know where to begin. "It was a girl I knew once, a long time ago," he said vaguely.

"She was special to you." It was not a question.

"She was everything to me," he corrected.

"Well, Druig," you said calmly. "I am not a ghost, and I will not be treated as such. I'm sure this girl was very special to you, but I'm not her. So please stop following me."

You turned and left quickly, leaving him frozen in his spot. You had no idea how both right and wrong you were. You were not a ghost, no. But you would always be her. You would always be everything to him.

•••

Present Day - Druig

You had seen it, the dream. You had seen the two of you sitting on the beach as you promised to be with him in every lifetime. He was so stupid. He should have been more careful. But as always, he was weak when it came to you.

He knew you'd spill it to Frieda before you came to him with the dream and so he had watched you tell her about it through her mind. He had tried to warn you through Frieda to stay away, to not become attached to him. But he had seen it in your eyes. You weren't going to listen. That only meant he'd have to try harder to keep the distance between you.

He decided not to walk you back to your hut tonight. His healers told him you were doing much better and he couldn't be around you right now. He couldn't risk it. Tried as he had, you were still crawling your way under his skin. And so, he watched from afar as you looked around, trying to find him when it was time to retire. He had walked you back every night since the first night, but he wouldn't tonight.

He saw you sigh as you seemed to accept you'd be on your own tonight. He ignored the disappointment on your face when you didn't find him. What he couldn't ignore was Pedro coming over to you, offering to walk you back. Druig saw red. He thought he'd controlled any thought of you from Pedro's mind already. But apparently the man needed another dose.

He stormed over to you, ignoring his own protests to stop, to stay the course. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up," he said to you.

You smiled at him slightly. He noticed you wouldn't meet his eyes. "That's okay, Pedro said he'd walk me back. Make sure I don't fall or anything."

"Pedro has to go help Alfonso carry wood back for the children's play area," Druig's eyes flashed gold quickly. "I will walk you."

Pedro immediately stood up straight, his eyes flashing the same gold. Thankfully your eyes were on Druig's shirt. "Yes, I must go now."

"Oh," you sounded confused. "Okay. Well, thanks then."

Pedro left quickly and Druig gestured towards the direction of your hut. "Shall we?"

You started walking, the silence just as thick as the morning. He wondered if you were still lost in your thoughts about the dream. He needed to stop you from pushing too deeply. "Are you busy tomorrow?" He asked.

"What?" You were pulled from your thoughts as you looked at him. "Oh um I think Frieda just wanted to show me how to make tortillas."

"If it's alright with you," he said. "I'd like you to accompany me tomorrow."

"Really?" You asked suspiciously. "Are you going to take me back to civilization out of your village?"

He laughed. "No. Well, not yet. You're not fully healed yet. But I was going to go to these ruins neat here tomorrow. I like to go there sometimes. As a teacher, I thought you'd appreciate seeing them."

He wanted to test you, see if you felt a connection to anything else. The last place he had seen you, in your last life, was in Tenochtitlan. That was the place he had decided to let you go forever. He needed to make sure that when your ankle healed, you would leave this place and never look back due to ancient forgotten memories. If it meant more time with you, well, he'd never admit it.

"I'd love to," you said, a smile coming to your face. "But can I go? On my ankle?"

"It's not a long or difficult walk," he said. "You should be okay, and we can take it easy."

"Okay," you said. He could tell you were giddy with excitement now. "Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," he nodded. He really hoped this didn't turn out to be his worst idea ever.

•••

Scandinavia 200 AD

"You're not a ghost," he said when he found you weaving a tent one day. "I know you're not her."

He should have left you alone when you called him out. He should have let you think he was replacing his dead love and come to resent him. Maybe then, he could keep himself away from you. But as a moth to a flame, he was drawn to you, his heart seeking yours. He couldn't stay away anymore. You plagued his every waking moment. You haunted every dream. There was no escaping your call.

"You're still following me," you didn't look up from the work in your hands.

"Actually, I'm here with Sersei," he said. "She wanted to help the hum—the people weave their tents. I just saw you here and thought you should know that."

"You thought I should know I'm not a ghost," you finally looked up. He saw a hint of a smile on your face and he knew you were teasing him.

He smirked at you. "In case it wasn't clear, that is correct."

You laughed and patted the spot next to you. "Come on, if you're going to turn up everywhere I am, I'm going to put you to work. Sersei isn't the only one that can help."

He hesitated for only a moment before he sat next to you, trying to keep distance between you. He ignored the warmth he felt in his heart from being even this close to you again.

•••

Present Day

You laid in your bed, smiling at the ceiling with a smile on your face. You weren't sure why it made you so happy, going on an outing with Druig. Maybe it was because he had invited you when you thought he hated you. Or maybe it was because of your dream. You weren't sure. But you were excited to go.

A part of you knew you should be wary. After all, you barely knew Druig. You had been in his village for about a week now, and he had made it clear from day one that you weren't welcome to stay longer than it took for your ankle to heal. He could be taking you away from the village to kill you, or worse.

But something told you that you didn't need to worry. Maybe it was the vision you had had, of Druig looking at you with such love. Maybe it was the dream where you had promised to be with him for multiple lifetimes. Or maybe it was the fact that he had helped you every day since you'd been here, helping you walk around, carrying most of your weight when you couldn't lean on your ankle. You weren't sure why you trusted him. But you did.

You sighed as you settled in to sleep. You had a long day ahead of you. And you were determined to get him to open up, finally. You wanted to get to know him, you realized. He was such an enigma at this point, mysterious and distant. You knew there was something good in him. You heard it from the villagers every day, when they spoke of how he protected them. You wanted to see it. You wanted to feel it towards you too. Tomorrow, you decided. You'd break through his walls.

•••

Scandinavia 200 AD

The Deviants came late into night. Druig and the others hadn't heard them until their attack had already begun. He rushed out of bed, following some of the others out of the Domo. He knew he wasn't a fighter. He wasn't usually wasn't part of this. But he had to find you. He had to protect you, keep you safe.

"How are there so many of them?" Kingo asked, shooting a blast from his hands at one.

"I don't know," Gilgamesh responded. "They don't usually travel together like this."

"Maybe we can worry about that later," Makkari signed before she sped off, pulling a man out of the way.

"I need to go," he said. "I need — I need to find her."

"Go, we got this," Gilgamesh said as he punched a Deviant back.

He ran through the town to your home. As the chief's niece and ward, he knew you'd be protected. But as ferocious and strong as the Vikings were, they were no match for the Deviants. Druig's eyes shined gold as he compelled the humans to run inside as he ran into your home.

"Where is she?" he asked your uncle.

"She is in her room," your aunt said.

He nodded and took off for your room. But you weren't there. Where were you? The room was empty, but your bedding was disheveled. You'd slept here this night. He ran out, ignoring your aunt and uncles calls. He needed to find you.

Makkari suddenly appeared in front of him, a sad look on her face. He knew before she even told him, his heart breaking again. "You need to come with me," she signed at him.

"It's her, isn't it?" he signed back. Makkari nodded before she grabbed him, running him to you.

Druig felt numb when he saw you, a large hole in your side where the Deviant had gotten you. He fell to his knees by your side, his fingers pushing your hair out of your face. If it weren't for the gapping hole in your stomach, you would have looked like you were sleeping. Druig pressed his forehead against your cold cheek, the tears gathering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to your lifeless form. He had done this to you. Again. He should have stayed away like he decided. But he couldn't help it. Not when it came to you. Your soul called his. His heart needed you.

It had been a friendship this time. He loved you with every fiber of his being, and he knew you felt something for him too. But you hadn't had enough time to become anything more. And now, you never would. He needed more time. He needed you to open your eyes so he could tell you how much he loved you, how much he needed you. But that chance was taken from him. You would never open your eyes again.

He felt someone put their hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move. "Druig," Ikaris said. "We need you to come. The humans are getting in the way."

Druig couldn't leave you. He couldn't leave you alone. It was cold out, the snow settling softly onto the ground around them. He didn't want you to freeze. You were so absurdly human after all. He saw Sersei kneel by his side. He knew Sersei cared for you deeply. In every lifetime, you had been her friend. And in every lifetime, she lost you too.

"Why was she out here?" He ran his thumb across your cheek. "It's freezing out and she doesn't even have her coat."

Sersei put her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe she was looking for you?"

"Druig," Ikaris said again, impatience leaking through his voice. "The Vikings are dying because they won't go inside and let us handle this. She is gone. You need to focus on the mission."

Druig wanted to punch him. How could he not see what Druig was going through? How could any of them not understand? He was broken, lost in the darkness without you. You were the light in the darkness, and again and again that light was snuffed out. Because of him. Because he couldn't help his selfish heart. He couldn't stay away from you. He had done this to you. How could he leave you now?

"Give him a minute," Sersei told Ikaris before looking back at