The village wasn't much different than last year, Soro noted. Maybe a new wooden bridge through the trees, or a new vegetable patch. The amazon forest around them was the same. The natural frames formed by overlapping branches allowing him to step through anywhere, without the need of a doorframe as guidance. This time, he stepped through a doorway sized gap between the branches high in the canopy. His converse finding purchase on a thicker branch below as he peered down to inspect the village below.

People wandered about doing their work and chores. The village was busier than usual and Soro knew it was because Druig was keeping a eye out for him. It was a game they played, or it had turned into a game over the centuries. Now it was mostly competitive.

In the first decade since their separation, Soro had handled the breakup by ignoring things that reminded him of his husband. That had been a lot of things, almost everything and he recalled a lot of nights drunk crying into pillows. Then, about fifteen years afterwards, he picked himself up and took himself to the market to buy himself some good food in honour of their anniversary. Food always reminded him of Druig and he may have gotten drunk that night and decided to return the favour and leave food for his husband in hope it would remind him too. So he had drunkenly portaled to the forest and left a basket of street food for his husband to find. Then he did it the next year, and the year after. Different foods from different places and countries each time.

Sometimes it was out of anger. Almost as if to send the message 'look at what you're missing hiding away here'. Or, 'we could have been enjoying this together'. Other times is was because he worried. Food was something they had always shared and he worried about Druig not eating enjoyable food. Long lives were not fun if you weren't enjoying what you ate.

After about a century of him leaving food on Druig's doorstep for him to find, his husband decided to try and catch him at it. That was where it turned into a game. Soro didn't want to talk to him yet. He had gotten over the heartbreak of it, but he still loved his husband and had been procrastinating his complex feelings of their separation for longer than was strictly healthy. Also, the thrill of hiding from him was fun. Soro enjoyed leaving gifts and watching the other man turn the village upside down to find him.

This time, he was approaching from above. It was easy to swing across the branches silently until he was over the village hall. The tree growing through the building made it easier and he climbed up higher until he was barely able to see the ground and the branches around him were bending under his weight. Then he tied the bag of leftovers to one of the glowing threads hanging from his fingers and began to slowly lower it down. He felt like one of those spies from the movies and giggled to himself as he watched the bag drop through the branches.

He had to pause several times as one of the humans in the village passed by. The light golden sheen to their eyes familiar. Soro smiled to himself. Druig was trying to lure him into a false sense of security. The people all looked as if they were doing their chores, but Druig was controlling them all and keeping his eyes on everything in the area. It was very Druig of him. The bag was mere feet from the steps of the village hall and with a flick of his fingers, the thread was unravelling from his hands and fading into nothingness. The bag landed on the step with a light thud.

The nearest villager lunged for it but Soro was already climbing back across the branches. "Soro!" Druig's voice echoed over the village. It made him pause. The tone was amused and frustrated. "My darling Soro?" It was teasing but the endearment made the blood rush to his face. It had been so long since Druig had called him that. It was nostalgic, painful and it left butterflies in his stomach. He froze, crouched in the branches with bated breath for whatever Druig might say next.

"Happy anniversary".

That was not what Soro had expected. Maybe a challenge, or a playful threat that he was going to find him. The two words made him jolt and the branch underfoot snapped. For a second he fell maybe a foot or two before his threads caught him and created a web under his legs. It should have been fine if a stray limb had not caught his glasses and knocked them off his face. The tree around him became blurry as the spectacles bounced their merry way down the tree and clattered down the roof of the village hall. Soro sighed slowly as he watched them land on the ground.

They had been playing this game long enough that he was bound to slip up eventually, but why did it have to be today? He blamed the events of the recent days for knocking him off balance. He was being clumsy and he didn't have his pack with his spare pair of glasses in it. That was back in Kingo's jet. Accepting his fate, he pulled out his phone and texted Sersi that he was caught up in something and would find them tomorrow, also for them to look after his bag for him. He was just tucking it back into his pocket when there was a thud of boots on the roof. 

Soro blinked through the branches, still high up enough that he was mostly hidden, as a familiar figure sat down on the tarp covered wood. Druig hadn't changed at all. His trousers were a black that had faded to grey and his sleeveless tshirt was a paler shade. His blue eyes was peering up into the tree calmly. He was far away enough for Soro to see him, but the branches closest of him were blurry. If he tried to climb down, even with his threads, there was a high chance he would fall. That would just be undignified. 

"You know I planted that tree", Druig remarked. His smile was teasing but hesitant. "About four hundred years ago now". He waved Soro's glasses, turning the black and silver frames around in his hands. "You dropped these. They seem new. Did you finally allow Phastos to make you an upgraded pair?"

Soro didn't answer. Druig glanced down at the glasses. "You know", his voice was softer now. No cockiness or teasing notes. It was honest and Soro listened, arms tucked around himself as he hung in a web of golden threads in the tree. "I have had a lot of time to think about the last time we talked. Maybe I should have gone about it a different way, talked to you more. I missed you". Druig stood up and made his way across the roof towards the tree. Once he reached the trunk, he peered up into the branches and Soro found himself meeting blue eyes. Druig's smile spread across his face like the sun from behind a cloud. 

"Found you. I guess I win this round". 

Soro was tired of hiding from his husband. Yes he was still hurt and he had no idea what to say, or how to fix this. But it had been five hundred years and if Sersi could talk to Ikaris sort of civilly, he could talk to Druig. There was also a bloom of hope in his chest. It sounded like Druig wanted to try things again too. With that in mind, he peered down, hair falling around his face. "Can I have my glasses back?"

"I don't know. Will you run away again?" Druig's tone as fond. 

"Can't exactly do that when I can't get out of the tree first". 

"Exactly". 

"Druig", Soro sighed, irritated despite warming at the familiar conversation. "I'm stuck. It's hard to climb when you can't see anything within five feet of you". 

"Jump", Druig grinned as he held out his arms. "I'll catch you". 

Soro knew that the Eternal could. They were all supernaturally stronger than their human forms suggested. Sprite could pick up Gilgamesh with no trouble. Sure, they couldn't bend steel bars (That was a Gilgamesh only trick) but they were ten times stronger than average human. Druig could catch him easily. So Soro sighed and tipped himself out of his nest of thread. The branches tugging at his clothes and hair as he dropped. Druig caught him smoothly under the arms and Soro blinked at the man's blurry face as he hung there like a cat. 

"I think you dropped this". The blue eyed man grinned as he set on Soro's feet on the roof and took his hand. Soro felt him place the glasses on his palm and closed his fingers around them. For a second he just stood there, Druig still holding his closed hand in his, second hand resting on his shoulder. 

Soro sighed and leaned forwards to press his face into the other man's shoulder. "I missed you too. And if you ever leave me like that again, I am never talking to you. I won't even bring you food. It will be over, you hear me?" The words came out muffled as his tears began to soak the light grey fabric. 

Druig chuckled lightly and wrapped him close. His arms warm and strong as Soro let himself be held like he was precious and fragile. No one else ever held him like that and it made him feel like he was coming apart at the seams. "I won't do that again. I promise. My darling, darling Soro". 

unedited 

yay they reunited. Soro not wanting to talk to Druig for five hundred years, but still leaving him food every anniversary makes my heart hurt. His love language is sharing food and gift giving.