"Oh wow, is that him? Never saw him so close. He's pretty cute." The exo woman looked out the window to the hangar and nodded approvingly.
"Oz! Don't stare, he might see you!" Eve whispered across the room harshly.
Nestled in the upstairs captain's lounge of the hangars complete with soft sofas and large overlook windows, the warlock was sitting on the plush red loveseat that matched the color of her coat that was currently draped over one of its heavily cushioned arms.
"Hmm." The exo, Ozara-4, reached up and tapped on the glass, watching the members of Fireteam Pluto pass by underneath, presumably on their way to the bar downstairs. "You know it's reinforced, bulletproof, double layered, and one-way, right? A bomb could go off in here and no one would know until Lakshmi reports it. And you know with her track record-"
Eve cut her off, holding up one hand. "Stop, please, and focus for a second? For me?"
Ozara turned around and approached the semicircle of soft seats. She wore heavy, bulky black body armor tinted with pastel pink highlights on the shoulder-pieces, and when she sat on of the chairs next to Eve with similar make to the loveseat, it gave a surprising amount of bounce. The titan looked to the warlock, seeing the slight but evident desperation in her friend's eyes.
The exo nodded, sighed and bowed her head for a moment. When she raised it again her sky-blue optics seemed to glow a little brighter, the hard metal features of her face seemed to soften, and even her dark green paintjob seemed to lighten. "You're right. This date thing is big for you, so I'm all ears." She wiggled her short, retractable antennae for emphasis.
Eve giggled and propped her boots up on the coffee table. "Thanks. I don't know why, but this guy seems different. I mean, not by much, but enough. I'm actually a little nervous."
"Well," Ozara started, "He's honest, smart. Very awkward. But, Eve, honey, he's very different for you. I don't know what this guy does in the field, but I've never seen him in the Crucible. He's not from the crowd you usually get guys from, that's all. Tell me more, let me help."
"I guess now I'm wondering why he asked me out. We're two different orders, we never spoke before, I never see him in the Tower except when I go to the library or he's stalking me." Eve reached over to the empty sofa, grabbed a pillow and set it in her lap. "Like, I get that his buddies helped him out and psyched him up to get the courage to ask, yeah, but he had to have expected rejection, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, hold on though. He was stalking you?" Ozara leaned in, head lowered slightly to glower at Eve.
"Yup." A new, but familiar third voice piped up.
The warlock and titan looked up to see the familiar hunter, an Awoken female with violet skin and short navy blue hair, of their team standing behind the sofa. "Your boyfriend's kind of a creep, Eve." She said as she hopped over the back of the couch and made herself comfortable by laying down on it. She was clad in her familiar gold armor with its black undersuit and accents, her long white cape elegantly draped over the edge of the sofa. Her bright steel eyes locked onto Eve's greens.
"He's not my boyfriend." Eve replied.
"Ew, even worse, then." The hunter ran a hand through her hair and pushed it out of her eyes.
"Why didn't either of you tell me Eve was being stalked?" Ozara asked, her voice rising and her hands balling into fists.
"Because of that." The hunter answered flippantly. "He wasn't really a threat and if we told you, you would go berserk and rip his arms off."
Ozara paused a moment. Then, "And what if he was a threat?"
"Pretty sure Eve could kick his ass. Oh, and by the way, they're just down in the bar. Don't think your boyfriend is much of a drinker, but his big friend is almost halfway drunk."
"Look, Oz," Eve smiled and put her hand on the exo woman's knee. "I saw him staring about a week ago, and I figured it was harmless. I told Lily because she's good at sneaking around. So I had her, well," She looked away, a blush rising, "I had her counter-stalk for me. She said she didn't find anything bad. Isn't that right, Lil?"
Lily shrugged and pulled her gloves off, drew a knife from her belt, and proceeded to clean the dirt from under her fingernails with the tip. "Eh, nothing that bad. Overheard a few journal entries that mentioned you. The usual 'woe-is-me' kind of crap you'd expect from a lonely nerdy guy. Oh, and a few really bad poems. He seemed harmless, and we were right. A week of puppy-dog eyes before his teammates notice and he only has the balls to ask her out once they tell him he does."
"Yeah." Eve patted Ozara's knee softly. "See? He's not a bad guy. He's just a little different.
"Okay." Ozara rested a firm hand over Eve's and squeezed. "Okay, I trust your judgement."
"Honestly, though, Eve." Lily turned her head to face Eve, "When he did finally ask you out, why did you say yes?"
"I don't know." Eve replied, flustered. "I guess his shyness was cute. And he seems really nice and honest. Most guys aren't really like that."
"Most guys you know." Ozara corrected.
Eve recoiled slightly and touched her fingertips of one hand to her temple in frustration. "Okay, I get it. I've dated jerks before. You don't have to rub it in."
"Tisk tisk," Lily turned back to look up toward the ceiling. "When will you learn, Eve? No man will ever be good enough for you." Her full lips curled into a sly smirk.
Eve rolled her eyes. "Ugh, one little kiss and you think we're a thing." She threw her pillow at the hunter playfully. Lily caught it and tucked it under her head.
"I could prove it if you want."
"You're the worst." Eve felt her cheeks getting hot. After a deep breath she asked, "So it's in less than an hour and I think I'm ready. But I need to know," She stood up and put her rose-red trenchcoat on, straightening her collar meticulously. "Do I look fine?"
"Fine as ever and always, babe." Lily remarked. "It's a patrol date, no big deal. He won't notice even if you weren't."