#dersi

“i think he’s still our target,” druig replies and pulls his hands out of his pocket to sign. and i know sersi’s undercover but she seemed very fond of him just now.

leave her be, makkari shakes her head and offers him a knowing smirk. he’s not for sure guilty.

and he’s not for sure innocent either.

his partner gives him a flat look. druig.

look, i just—he signs and runs his hands through his hair, dragging his eyes away from his shoes to look makkari in the eye.

she always did have a kind face. an open expression. mischievous, playful eyes. not patient in the least but always allowing him to take his time. it always made breathing come a bit easier to him and lessened the weight in his chest. she smiles at him now, seemingly guessing where his words are going before he can even pick them out. so she steps closer, her hands wrapping fluidly around his waist.

druig sighs and returns her gesture. he makes sure to speak slowly enough for her to catch it. “i just don’t want her to get hurt again.”

instead of signing, she keeps her arms around him and nods, leaning up to press her forehead to his. it’s a message all it’s own. their own.

“i know,” he says though she can’t catch it. “i know.”

makkari pulls back and offers him a much brighter smile. enough wasting time, she grins and grabs his hand with the one she’s not using to sign. it’s time for our double date.

remind me again why i’m here?

because it’s your job and you just love spending time with me. makkari throws a smile over her shoulder as she pushes the door open.

druig smirks and signs back a lazy, must be.

sersi descends on them immediately, mostly signing frantically to makkari, and druig takes this time to scan their area thoroughly. he knows sersi must have already having received the same training he did, but druig is soundly of the mind that one could never be too sure where safety is involved.

“slow down, sersi,” druig drawls when he’s finished, giving makkari’s hand in his a casual squeeze. “we haven’t even met the guy yet.”

but the woman is inconsolable. her brows are pinched together in worry and her lips pull into a pronounced frown. “i really do have the worst dating history, don’t i?” she says, signing the question to makkari. “i’m starting to think i’m just a poor judge of character.”

makkari shakes her head earnestly. don’t blame yourself for what ikaris did. none of us could have predicted that.

well, i don’t think falling for the guy who may or may not have a hand in international armed weapons dealings is much better. do you?

makkari and druig share a sympathetic look but are unable to object before the man of the hour shows up. dane’s arms wrap around sersi and her posture instantly relaxes. he smiles at her and without thinking, she smiles back. druig feels makkari squeeze his hand again and inch closer to his side. he doesn’t even attempt to hide his pleased smirk.

“it’s so nice to meet you,” dane greets them, extending his hand for them both to shake. then he surprises them by signing their names. druig and makkari, right?

makkari blinks in shock but breaks out into a satisfied smile. she nods and signs back, yes, that’s right. i didn’t know you could sign.

“he can’t,” sersi explains and signs. “he’s been trying to learn a little but he’s only just started.”

“well, i didn’t want to be a total ass when i met you guys. that doesn’t exactly make for a great first impression.”

makkari signs quickly and druig watches her hands to translate. “thanks, dane. that’s actually pretty nice of you. i can already tell we’re going to get along.”

the man smiles, pleased with himself. “i hope so,” he says and druig signs his words to makkari. “any friend of sersi is a friend of mine. besides, it’d be a rather horrid double date if we didn’t.”

sersi nudges dane playfully and tells him primly, “see? i told you i had couple friends for us to hang out with.”

“you did.”

druig rolls his eyes but he can’t get rid of his smile as he signs to makkari, we don’t look this grossly affectionate, do we?

makkari laughs. absolutely not, we’re much cooler.

agreed.

“you guys look very happy together.” dane interrupts them with a knowing gleam in his eye. he looks to sersi who smiles back before remembering herself and translating for him.

the moment passes comfortably and dane shows them all to the table he got. druig and makkari watch all night as sersi falls even harder for their target. but even druig, with all his cynicism, can see that dane returns it all tenfold.

if dane is guilty, then he’s just as screwed as she is.

the couples leave the pub separately after a quick recap while dane uses the bathroom. makkari’s hand slips back into his as if it had always been there. he smiles and pulls her close, his arm wrapping around her. she places an innocent kiss to the warm skin of his jaw and looks out into the glowing night sky.

i know he’s our target and hasn’t been proven innocent, makkari signs after a few minutes, a content look about her face. but i like the way he makes sersi happy.

me too. druig agrees.

i’m not naive enough to care for him already, but at least for sersi’s sake i hope he’s the man he says he is.

druig nods and kisses her temple.

she pulls apart from him completely so that she can face him, her arms snaking up his body to wrap around his shoulders. his fall habitually to her waist.

i love you.

druig smiles, leans down to steal a kiss from her lips.