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cdragons · 1 year ago

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Our Love is Eternal-Chapter 2

Previous Chapter Pairing(s): Ikaris x fem!Elemental!Reader; Sersi x Dane Whitman Word Count: 5.0k words Chapter Summary: Ikaris continues to reminisce of the love you two shared while Sersi is about to meet an old friend Warning: slight angst, overload of fluff, Sersi mentally cursing, past natural violence, mention of abusive childhood, past violence Author's Note: Once again, a special thank you to the one and only @valeskafics for kindly agreeing to being my beta despite her insanely busy schedule! I could not have continued this fic (or any of my fics) without your help! Also thank you to everyone who decided to keep reading my works, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for all the likes and reblogs! I sincerely apologize for how long this chapter took, it is shorter than the last one. I'm trying to see if making my chapters shorter, I can post more frequently. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Be kind and like, reblog, and/or comment if you want me to continue!

“Ikaris…Ikaris…”

It’s you. You were calling out to him.

Ikaris reaches out to hold you, to press your frame against his for a single moment of bliss to fight the ocean of misery that had been his life since you left him. He feels your body shaking, and he looks down to see tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Ikaris, I love you.” You swore to him.

Why are you crying?

“I love you so much.”

Do you?

“I’m sorry; I’m so, so sorry.”

Then stay – please just stay.

“Please, I’m begging you. Just forget me.”

My cruel darling, how could you ask such a thing from me? How could you even think of mocking my pain with such an impossible favor?

“Forget our vow, just be free of me.”

If forgetting you is freedom, then let me be damned by your haunting.

And then he woke up, and once more you were gone.

Opening his eyes only to see that the sun had not risen yet, Ikaris stretched his tired muscles before rubbing his face to loudly groan at the idea of going through another tedious day of pretending to be human. Looking at the clock on his left bedside, he sees that it was only 4:42 am. Despite not needing to meet Sersi until at least 10, he knew that there was little point in attempting to sleep again. Instead, he decided to take a quick run to hopefully get his mind off you. He would have flown, but he felt the need to purposely limit himself to distract himself. Quickly getting dressed in a navy-blue cotton compression tee with black running shorts, he decided to make a route that would start at his building in Hammersmith to around Hyde Park’s perimeter, before returning. Putting a dark-grey hoodie, he quickly put in his ear buds before listening to one of the playlists Sersi made for him when she dragged him to buy a new phone after learning he only carried a flip phone.

Being an Eternal – especially one that can literally fly – there was little point in exercising, as they cannot age, get sick, or physically change. But Ikaris found that it took a tremendous amount of both mental and physical concentration in limiting his physical capabilities to that of an average human male. He learned this when you made fun of his being unable to shoot an arrow from a bow like a human during one of your earlier outings together.

He was grateful that the sun hadn’t risen yet, otherwise he certainly would have gotten some unwanted stares from civilians. While he was running, he tried to keep his head from glancing around the world around him – but it was futile. All he could see was the changes made to the city since its founding. What was once a tiny settlement from the Roman Empire expanded to the bustling metropolis now. By the time his run is over, the sun is rising, his playlist has ended, and he is ripping off his clothes to wash away all the sweat on his body to prepare for the day. He doesn’t bother to wait for the water to heat up before letting it pour against his skin. As the water slowly starts to warm up, he closes his eyes and lets his mind drift off to the entirety of his life.

Ikaris remembered every moment of his seven-thousand-year lifespan on Earth. He remembered everything from the moment he awoke on the Domo, to the first time he spilled the blood of his first deviant, saving that young boy whose father was cruelly devoured by that same monstrosity. He couldn’t claim that he particularly enjoyed his existence, only that he knew he had a purpose to achieve, one bestowed upon him by Arishem. A purpose he intended to fulfill to the best of his abilities and expected the very same by his fellow Eternals. Although the mission had its obstacles, knowing that he was an integral component in carrying out Arishem’s plan for this planet was more than enough to him. According to Ajak, the Grand Celestial was very pleased by their progress and dedication in their faith towards him.

Everything was going smoothly, until a sudden windstorm annihilated one of the settlements, they had been watching over for over a decade. Thankfully none of the humans were harmed, but the destruction was unsettling. Ajak assured both the humans and her children that the storm resulted from the Earth’s evolving climatology. But the storms continued, and the powerful gales were accompanied by heavy rain, followed by constant thunder and lightning. Even worse, the constant downpour of rain caused a rise in water levels, resulting in any settlement close to any water body to be completely flooded beyond repair.

Ajak and Sersi had been completely beside themselves with panic for humanity’s tedious fragility, their tender and soft hearts breaking more and more with each loss of life.

The kind and noble Makkari had fallen into bouts of depression in knowing that her extraordinary speed could only save so many; along with the fact that more links of humanity’s past were lost forever.

Sprite was losing more of her spark and grew more aggravated as she could no longer use her illusions to lift their spirits, camouflaging herself into her surroundings to avoid any interaction.

The ever so cheerful Kingo no longer flaunted their home, and only grew more withdrawn and taciturn.

Thena only continued to train herself harder, growing more agitated by her unquenched thirst for battle, and her self-frustration at her inability to strike the cause of humans’ plight.

Gilgamesh took it upon himself to be her sparring partner and emotional tether when her frustration grew too much.

Phastos had nearly worked himself into a damn stupor in trying to figure out the cause of such calamity, only to discover that the natural disasters could not be considered “natural” at all.

No, to classify the cause as “not natural” was a gross understatement. The chaos that erupted in the Domo in discovering that the abnormal wind patterns were from an all-powerful wind goddess referred to as Zephyr, “Mistress of the Winds.” However, it was not she who was the mastermind of all this destruction. No, that honor belongs solely to you…the younger sister of her most prized protégé who she adored to dote on.

Despite what his other Eternals assumed of him; Ikaris was more than aware of his flaws. He knew that he could be at times overbearing and arrogant, that he can seem unkind and indifferent to humanity he had sworn to protect, that he at times had “tunnel vision” when it came to his mission and was uncompromising, and that he was too easily baited by his fellow eternal and rival Druig. But he could gladly accept all of his faults, if only so that he would be burdened by his greatest weakness, you.

You, who pillaged the land with endless floods and harrowing winds, inflicting more damage upon the humans than any deviant. You, who plagued his mind since the very first time he laid eyes on you over six-thousand years ago on the shores of what is now referred to as the Mediterranean Sea. Ikaris remembered that time well, as he was sent with Ajak and Druig to not only formally announce their presence on Earth, but hopefully form a sort of partnership between them and the offenders. For Ajak to lower herself to ask for permission to meet with you was insulting to say the least, even Druig agreed with him on this matter.

At first glance, Ikaris dismissed you as a spoiled goddess, drunk enough on her otherworldly power to delude her into thinking herself more important than his purpose to Arishem. How could he not, with your fine cerulean silk robes wrapped around your pliant body, further lavished in silver adornments and precious sea stones? It had not been until he looked into your eyes that he was taken back by their intensity and forced to reevaluate his original assessment. Those dazzling, glorious, beckoning (e/c) eyes that stared back at him with such blazing ferocity that he wondered if you were actually a fire demon disguised as a water goddess.

The introductions were fairly straightforward; it was the matter of the “negotiations” that led to the problem. Ajak tried to explain that their mission as the “Eternals” was to protect humanity from the “Deviants” in order to aid them to prosper and evolve. She tried to explain how the flooding is a risk to their mission, and how their creator “Arishem” would bring dire consequences on those who intend to disrupt their assignment to the people of Earth.

You then explained that you did actually care about the “surface walkers.” In your eyes, the moment they left the sea, you held no responsibility over them. What concerned you was the fact that since the “Eternals” arrived on Earth, the deviants had started to target those who relied on your protection. Not only that, but there have been multiple instances of territories being destroyed by strange energy beams. You and your brothers did not fight in a three-thousand-year war to banish your tyrant of a father and restore the sea’s delicate balance only for a band of pretty aliens in shiny tights to ruin it. Stating all of this, you demanded the head of the one who caused so much destruction in return for the flooding to cease.

This is where the discussion got a bit…overzealous on both ends. As Ikaris admitted himself to be the one who could create the energy beams from his eyes – even giving you and your aunt a demonstration by destroying the impressive rock formation behind you into a million tiny pebbles. He then outright demanded that your childish temper tantrum cease, as you and your “people” were not more important than the orders from the Great Celestial Arishem. He told you of how as an Eternal, nothing was more important than the fulfillment of his grand design.

This outraged you to no end, as you slammed the stone table as you quickly stood to meet your opponent’s gaze. You then countered Ikaris by stating that your family and kingdom had existed long before the surface walkers, let alone the Eternals. You went so far to blatantly called him a “puppet” to this Arishem character, for so willingly going along with his so called “grand design.” In your eyes, those who blindly followed a higher being were no different than pawns. And in your experience, pawns were the ones who were always the first to be sacrificed by the masters they followed.

The two of you argued back and forth at one another for what seemed to be hours. Ajak and Lady Zephyr both appeared to be extremely nervous at the heated exchange; while Druig seemed more amused than nervous at the heated discussion. He didn’t want to voice his opinion, but he was intrigued by your honest skepticism. You were clearly someone who believed in proof through action and evidence as opposed to blind faith.

Although, it wasn’t until you torpedoed sea water to Ikaris – no doubt resulting in a concussion and few dozen broken bones, added by you throwing your sandal to his battered face for good measure (leaving a clear red imprint of the shoe that would last for at least an hour) – that truly made you earn the mind controller’s respect. Ikaris would later flush in embarrassment every time Druig told this story to the team, describing in excessive detail how pathetic the Golden Son looked with his armor completely soaked, and how his body was ruined to the point he couldn’t even fly.

However, in learning that your main concern remained in your people’s protection. Ajak suggested that you would aid the Eternals in preventing the deviants from consuming the humans, so long that they provide help to prevent the same from being done to your people as well. Along with that, Ikaris would be much more careful in making sure that his energy beams do not damage any of the ocean reefs.

Despite knowing that this arrangement would be mutually beneficial to both parties, you still had to discuss it with your brothers before a final decision could be reached. However, you assured the Prime Eternal that you would immediately reach out to inform her when a final decision has been made and announce it in person. Ajak countered this by telling you that she would send both Druig and Ikaris as escorts as a symbol of good faith and respect between both families. Although he protested a great deal at the time, Ikaris knew that it was his duty as Ajak’s second-in-command to follow her orders. Looking back, he couldn’t help but feel very grateful for Ajak’s insistence of his company. If she had never done so, he would never have had the opportunity to get to know the beautiful complexity that was you.

Since that meeting, he had to learn to tolerate your quips and pranks. He would be forced to make conversation with you in order to diminish the overwhelming awkward and silent tension. You would be forced to pretend that his company was welcome. He would learn about your complicated relationship with your mother, and the scars you carried from your father. You would apologize for calling him a puppet and admit that you were jealous of his ability to have faith in ideas and places and people he had no recollection of ever meeting before his mission on Earth. He would buy your first loaf of bread and smile fondly at how large your cheeks would get in how much you stuffed them. You would show him how to eat sea grapes raw and laugh at his bewildered reaction and gagging. He would see that beneath all the scars and sarcasm, was a girl who was robbed of any sense of security as a child. You would see that behind the stoicism and preaching, laid a soldier whose faith was his only constant in his role of an observer to constant change.

In a way, you both were not so different from one another. You both were warriors with purpose forced upon them by higher beings with no choice in the matter. You both had to make sacrifices that painted yourselves as strong and hid away the cracks and broken pieces. But somehow, the broken parts of either of you made the most beautiful mosaic when put together. And that made all of the pain worth it.

Ikaris was then brought out of his wistful melancholy at the realization that the warm water had turned icy on his skin. Immediately shutting off faucet, he stepped onto the rug and quickly dried himself before tossing his running clothes into the laundry hamper next to the bidet. He briskly sauntered off to his wardrobe and pulled out his typical daytime casual wear of a black crew neck t-shirt with black jeans and a dark peacoat with black leather Oxfords.

Making an adequate breakfast of toast, eggs, and black coffee; he quickly ate as he watched the boats sail on the river from the view in his flat’s reception room. Glancing at his phone to note the time, he was shocked to find that he had less than fifteen minutes to get to the museum. Although his attendance was in no way expected and necessary today, he made a commitment to his friend and was determined to see it through. He swiftly washed his dishes and checked his home to make sure that nothing could burn, nor flood the apartment while he was away. Taking only his phone and his keys, he locked the door and exited his building. Greeting the daytime porter, Norman, who managed to expertly hail him a cab within seconds. As Ikaris handed Norman a generous tip for his service, he entered the cab before sinking into the seat as he looked at the river to his side.

No matter how pretty the view might have been, no amount of picturesque sunlight could hide the heaps of grime and waste that laid on the bottom of the river floor. While London was never the most hygienic of cities, it has only worsened to an irreversible extent since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. If Ikaris was grateful for only one thing since your disappearance, it was that you were absent from the horrors he is forced to witness every day. While you were never a fan of England, you and he shared many fond memories of Europe; the time you two spent in the early 3000 BC Scandinavia held an especially special place in his mind.

You knew what snow was, and how it looked – your eldest brother’s domain was in the Artic Circle for Gods’ sake– but you had never been allowed to touch it, let alone play with it. And when you saw a small group of human children throwing snowballs at one another, you decided to make the biggest one you could make before chucking it directly to Ikaris’ face. Ikaris was so taken back by the assault, he barely registered what happened before you decided to throw another aimed at his solar plexus. Naturally, this led to a full-heated battle that lasted for the rest of the day. By the end of it, Ikaris couldn’t remember the last time he felt so young and laughed so hard. In fact, he couldn’t recall smiling so much before meeting you. But as the two of you laid on your backs, watching the stars and moon fill up the night sky, he heard you whisper something that he would never forget.

“These lands must have magic inside its bones.”

Confused, Ikaris wanted you to repeat yourself. But when he turned his head, there were no words. Because there you laid, soft smiles and flushed cheeks; but all he saw were your eyes. In that moment, there were more stars in your eyes than there were in the galaxy. Realizing you were expecting a response. Ikaris thought back to all the stories Sprite told to the humans at banquets and feasts. He would laugh at her made-up tales of magic and themselves as gods.

But if someone like him can laugh and play like a human; if you were by his side laughing with soft smiles, flushed cheeks, and eyes filled with stars; if the two of you can lie on the snow-covered ground as time flies by; then maybe magic truly did exist beyond stories and ideas.

“I think you’re right.”

And he found that he meant it with all his heart.

As Ikaris continued to reminisce about simpler times, he felt a soft mechanical buzzing. Knowing that it was most likely Sersi questioning him of his location, he reached into his pocket to silence the ring without even looking. Not even realizing that he was about to get everything he ever wanted for the last 600 years in the most unexpected way possible.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON – ABOUT 30 MINUTES EARLIER

Since Ajak had split the team, and each member had decided to venture off in their own lives, Sersi was determined to continue to live amongst humans. She had seen millions killed by their own hand, but her love for humanity remained steadfast. As she continued to roam, she would live a life with a new role. Sometimes she was a wandering healer who could transform a rock into medicine; other times she would pretend to be a midwife, witnessing first-hand the wonders and joys of life and creation. In this time however, working as a museum scientist to one of the most prestigious institutions in the modern world was thrilling in a different way. She was able to meet so many people from all around the world, not including sharing her knowledge from her early life to the next generation of potential scholars. She may have been terrible with punctuality, but her natural ability to teach had saved her many close calls. However, she made sure to leave her shared flat with Sprite about 30 minutes earlier than usual to meet Dane and finally meet the mysterious historian this morning. But as she prepared herself, she slightly regretted that decision.

Sersi couldn’t remember the last time she was so anxious to meet someone in a professional setting. She loved her job, and she was good at it too. Ever since her first day, she was always in her element. As she walked into her office, she was immediately relieved by the sight of a strong dark figure in a handsome white cover that was sitting on her papers.

“One iced americano with 2 espresso shots and an avocado on toast for you my lady, from yours truly.”

Oh, and Dane was there too!

Sersi chuckled fondly at the sight of her boyfriend as he made a grand sweeping arm gesture to the takeaway feast before her eyes.

“My hero,” she cooed as she held her hand over her chest as she pretended to swoon. “How did know?”

“Well, considering how long we’ve been together,” he started, “I figured that the only way you were going to get here early enough to make a decent impression on our special guest was if you skipped your usual morning meal routine. So, I thought that some caffeine and overpriced toast would be enough to get you through the morning.”

“Well, you thought correctly.” Sersi gave Dane a quick peck on the cheek before walking to her desk and setting her things down. “Isn’t this coffee shop really busy around this time?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. I’ve got an old schoolmate who works there as the chef. He made sure to set my order aside when I asked him last night.”

“Oh no, was it any trouble?” No matter how sweet the gesture was, Sersi hated the idea of causing trouble for others, especially those she held close to her heart.

“Nah,” Dane quickly reassured her, “I just owe him a pint or two when I next see him for drinks.”

“Well, I’m very grateful for you and your friend.” She stated as she opened the takeaway box, only for her jaw to drop and her eyes to stare back at her human boyfriend.

“You ate it?” The lovely eternal exclaimed in shock and betrayal, but Dane only shrugged while sucking a breath through his teeth.

“Yeah,” he drawled out with his hands in his slacks’ pockets, “I didn’t actually expect you to show up early, and please hear me out before you get angry!” Putting his hands in front of him in an attempt to make peace, “I didn’t want it to go to waste, and I only really ate half of it.” As if pointing out that last bit would grant him any mercy.

But seeing that he crossed a line, Dr. Dane Whitman made sure to save his ultimate weapon for guaranteed forgiveness.

“Forgive me?” He begged, pouting slightly as he pulled out the most pitiful puppy-eyed expression he could manage. Fingers crossed behind his back in hopes that it would work.

“Damn it,” thought Sersi, “he knows I can’t NOT forgive him when he does that.” Whatever defenses Sersi had were always knocked completely down whenever Dane pulled out that expression. It didn’t help that she found his pout incredibly adorable. She sighed in mock defeat.

“Fine,” she conceded, “I suppose that I can forgive you this one time.” Walking over to her mortal lover as she wrapped her arms around his neck, she closed the distance until their lips were a breath apart.

“But don’t ever eat my toast again.” Sersi stated with an expression too serious to be taken seriously.

“Deal,” Dane nodded in mocking serious expression, the ends of his mouth lifting as Sersi leaned in for a kiss. It was almost pitiful how devastated she was when she pulled away to eat the rest of her feast.

“By the way,” she stated after taking a large sip of her coffee to wash down the toast, “Isaac is coming to visit today. To see the historian visiting today.”

“Since when was he interested in nautical folklore and oceanography?”

It was a fair question to ask. Ikaris may have been an ancient immortal being that watched over humanity’s evolution, but Isaac Harris was a man with PhD’s in both Classical and Historical Archeology.

“He just wants to make sure that our time and resources aren’t going to be wasted,” reassured Sersi, “that’s all. But I think he’s more curious to see if I can actually manage to come in before him in anything.”

“Well,” Dane chuckled, “good to know you beat him today at least. But seriously, how are you feeling today?”

“Yeah!” Sersi cheerfully replied, “This wouldn’t be my first rodeo, and knowing that she is closer to our age will help smooth any awkward tension!”

“At the very least, she’s closer to the age I put on my resume,” thought Sersi.

“Good to know at least one of us is confident,” chided Dane to the beautiful Eternal. But his next words were very sincere, “it’s impossible to not adore you though.”

Sersi did genuinely swoon that time. She was surprised that her knees managed to keep her steady. Luckily, the clock above her office’s entrance showed her that they were both dangerously close to being barely early in meeting their guest.

“Well, we better head down now,” she softly stated as she walked toward the door with her incredible boyfriend’s hand locked with hers. “After all, first impressions and punctuality are the things that mean a great deal to us Brits.”

Dane’s smile grew even larger at her terrible joke, “Most of us at least.” And he swore that his morning became ten times better at hearing her laugh on his own.

After what seemed like an eternity of impatient walking in the familiar halls and corridors to finally reach the grand lobby, both Dr. Sersi and Dr. Dane Whitman hurried down the ornate staircase. To their shock and amazement, their mystery guest was already there, standing with their backs turned toward them and staring at the colossal skeleton hanging above her. Reaching the bottom, Sersi felt there was something strange about this person, almost…familiar.

“Hello,” Dane called out, “I am so sorry for making you wait. Although, it’s a huge relief to know that someone of your caliber would find our institution’s Hope to be worthy of your attention. The full story is quite remarkable actually, see she-”

“She was found in 1891, along the Irish coastline,” a hauntingly familiar voice interjected, “judging from the sheer size of the skeleton, I’d say that the fisherman must have gained a fortune by auctioning the corpse. I can’t imagine how long it must have taken the buyer to butcher the meat and boil down the blubber.”

Sersi swore she stopped breathing. It couldn’t be…could it?

It wasn’t until their guest paused to turn and faced the couple that Sersi felt her heart beating more rapidly by the second.

Over 5000 years ago, Sersi met a young woman who came from the sea. The young woman was the product of two great beings, each containing powers that existed before time itself. She lived a hard life, but she grew strong. She learned to control the sea she came from, along with banishing a primordial evil. But with peace came solitude, and with solitude came loneliness. But she eventually found the Eternals, or rather they learned of her. An agreement was brokered between the two parties, and what was an alliance of necessity came a bond willingly forged of fond memories. But around 600 years ago, the young woman disappeared for unknown reasons, and was never seen again.

Until now apparently.

Sersi couldn’t believe her eyes. It was over 600 years ago in Mesoamerica. You had donned your battle armor and unsheathed the blade the finest sea smiths forged in honor of your first kill in the name of your eldest brother’s new empire. Sersi remembered how terrified Ikaris was in that battle; he could not remain by your side since the Deviants were scattered across the region, and you alone had to cover the coastline. It was a brutal battle that day. By the end, your pristine robes were shredded and whatever remained was drenched in tar-like blood. She could see new scars and bruises littered on the skin that peaked through the torn cloth. That steady stance that could only come from a seasoned warrior such as yourself was gone; in fact, you looked less like a warrior and more like a beggar. Your body had taken so much damage that you could only be healed by your second eldest brother. Sersi remembered being terrified of your well-being, but you reassured her that you would soon return. She wept for days after learning from Ajak that you could no longer return.

And yet, here you were! You were right in front of her! Except that it seems you traded your warrior aesthetic for modern business casual. She took in the sight in front of her. You were smartly dressed in a double-breasted blazer with gold buttons over a striped cotton zip sweater, and light-wash straight leg jeans paired with a pair of flat-heeled light brown loafers. The familiar braids you styled daily were replaced with a sleeker, more modern style. She took in your figure, pitifully attempting to find any resemblance between the image of the woman before her and the memory of her friend who she thought was gone. The only thing that confirmed your identity to her was the lapis lazuli charm attached to a gold chain around your neck.

“It matches his eyes.” You told her when showing her the gift Ikaris gave all those years ago.

As if sensing that Sersi finally confirmed your identity for herself, you gave out a warm smile.

“Hey Sersi,” you cheerfully stated, “it’s been a while huh?” You walked forward and wrapped your arms around her to give her a tight hug.

Reciprocating your embrace, Sersi had only one thought going through her head as she warmly greeted you back.

“You bitch.”

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