This was their first mission, they were blessed with the presence of the Prime Eternal and also the legendary warrior Thena, and she wanted to make a good impression. Be professional, focus on the mission, have no feelings except for faith on Arishem and hope for the humans, that they could build a good future.
But of course, she wasn't just 100% soldier, 100% work. She had feelings, like everybody else, and when you work closely with people, well, you get to know them, don't you? You get to notice them. They hadn't been on Earth long, so they the didn't know each other that long, but Makkari was an observant person, and she had a very fast train of thought (she had a very fast everything) and she was good at reading people.
Ajak was a protector, and already cared deeply about everyone in the team (which was a bit weird, maybe? they barely knew each other, how come she cared so much?). Thena loved the fighting, loved war, loved every bit of conflict. Ikaris wanted to lead, but wasn't allowed, and that ate his lunch a bit. Phastos continuously wanted to do more than what he was doing.
Kingo and Sprite were really fun to be around, told jokes, threw out sarcasms. created great sotries... They had life and ideas beyond the mission, and that something nice. She wanted to make a good impression and be professional but she also wanted to have a life, you know, there were some talks about an emerald tablet... But yes. She liked them. She also liked Sersi and Gilgamesh, they were good, kind people, as far as she could tell.
And then there was Druig, the mind control guy. Druig was... a bit different than the others, wasn't he? A bit harder to read. He liked exploring and going on little adventures, like her, and there was a dangerous glint to his eyes, but she didn't exactly know what to make of it. He was bit of a mystery, of a riddle, a that was one thing that she couldn't resist.
Not that she meant to say that he was irresistible, of course, who said that? Not her. But there was a charm, a charisma, a certain... je ne sais quoi. (Also he sought her out. Laughed with her. Translated her when there was a need. Which only added to the charm, didn't it?)
And it wasn't just that, no, there was the main thing he did, which was part of his ability. Technically, he could mind control people with just a thought, his eyes would light up and then the people would do whatever he wanted them to do. But sometimes, she didn't know if it was to concentrate himself better, or what, but he put his hand up, in front of him, and then the people would act. And that little hand movement, to focus his mind control or whatever... Well, Makkari felt things.
At first, she didn't know what those things were. There was smile that came to her face, uninvited, almost a little giggle. And then sometimes, a shiver coursing all though her, specially when he stayed a bit longer like that, eyes shining, his hand stretched out. All tall, standing proud, eyes shining gold, changing the world.
He was.. majestic, wasn't he? There was something so so different about him, and she knew that he didn't always mind control just the people that he needed, and that he had the temptation to to do it to even more people.
There was a darkness in there, and that was also kind of hard to resist, wasn't it?
Ok, so maybe she was realising more what kind of feelings they were. But were they supposed to? Was this conducive to the mission at all? She wanted to be called for other adventures after this one was done, and she didn't want anything unpleasant to cloud, to distract frome her great performance as a saviour of people and killer of deviants.
Were they even allowed to have those kinds of feelings? Was Arishem going to come down to her and go "you are hereby banished from this planet and this team and this mission" for being too horny? That would be embarrassing.
She tried not to distract herself. Sometimes not even look at him, to avoid any unnecessary distractions. She could look at other places, right? She could look at the sea, she could look at the sky, at the humans, at the deviants, at whatever. She did not need to look at Druig with his pale eyes, and his smile and his long and perfect neck. At all.
But she always ended up looking, and he would do the hand thing, and it was just very hot, and she would sigh and think very non-professional thoughts. Because then he smiled, and her world melted. And now she understood better what was so hot about the hand thing, it was all the jokes, the kindnesses, all the cheekiness and all the clever ideas, it was the power, the intelligence, it was all that he was, it was Druig materialized in one gesture and it (he) was really hot.
And Makkari didn't really know what to do about it.
Simply continue staring and imagining the things that might be, might come to pas, in another world, or maybe when they returned to Olympia and there were no bosses around? Risk everything just to have a chance of getting of all hotness from up closer? Makkari was confused, about herself, about the mission, about everything.
So she decided to give it a little time, to try and clear things up.
Some moment along the way, they became best friends, and everything he did became even hotter. The way he laughed, all the little naughty moments, when he got really emotional because of something they'd witnessed. Se got closer. So did he.
Ikaris and Sersi got together, clearing up whatever doubts she might still have. And maybe she'd found out that he thought she was hot, too. And maybe they kissed, once or twice or seven times, but decided to keep it in secret, be clandestine.
If you won't tell, I won't tell. (he said many years after, remindung her of her own words)
Deal
She didn't know what the future might bring, and she knew that she still believed in her mission, and wanted to do a good job... but that didn't mean she couldn't some nice spicy hotness on the side.
And she wouldn't look away from the hand thing again.
She worked hard, she deserved some hot.
Deserved some him.