"Excuse me, Commander?" Wren said, peering around the door to his office.
"Wren," Zavala said, laying a stack of papers on his desk. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Sorry, Commander, but I wanted to ask you a question."
"Of course. Come in." He sat behind his desk and gestured her to enter.
The office was impressive. Vast and open, clear of clutter and excessive furniture. There were shelves lining both sides of the room with books, trophies, and some other display pieces. Clean dark wood floors were lightly polished, reflecting some of the glow from outside where white snow clouds had hung for days. Snow fluttered by and someone had decorated the outside of the window in strings of Dawning lights.
"What did you need, Guardian?"
"Oh, I brought you this," Wren said, holding out her hands so Kiran could transmat in a package wrapped in silver paper.
Zavala's brow rose. "A present?"
"Yes, Commander. We wanted to show our appreciation to you."
"Thank you, Wren." He opened the package and pulled out a pair of silver-plated knitting needles and a matching yarn bowl. He peered up at her, then cleared his throat. "These are thoughtful gifts but—"
"Cayde told us you liked to knit. And that was something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Knitting?"
"Oh, um, no. I wanted to talk about Cayde. I was wondering if he could have the evening off to celebrate with myself and Cerulean."
Zavala arched a brow, then glanced at his door. "Cayde, get in here."
Wren's eyes went wide and her cheeks burned. She knew this plan was stupid!
Cayde slid through the door. "Hey Zavala! What are you doing here? I mean, it's your office but uh, I didn't know you were gonna be here. I was just walking by when you called and –"
"That's enough," Zavala sighed, holding a hand up. "I assume if I say no you'll only devise a scheme to get him out?"
"I'm sorry, Commander. For the Festival of the Lost I mean."
"I'm sure," he replied flatly. His gaze shifted between them like a scolding father until at last he leaned back, tapping a finger on his desk. "Very well. Cayde, if you can get reports from your scouts and the hanger by lunch, you're clear to be off duty this evening."
"Thank you, Commander," Wren smiled. "And you better get to work," she said to Cayde before excusing herself. She did her part, now it was up to Cayde.
Near the southern section of the Wall, Cerulean met with sleds in hand along a steep embankment where snow had piled high against the Wall itself. High above Guardians were starting their descent by hopping out of a place where the sheet metal had rolled away in a massive chunk. The Vanguard had already made arrangements with the engineers to have it fixed, as a new piece hung over the gap, but perhaps they were allowing the Guardians a bit of fun before making repairs.
"That's insane," Wren smiled.
"It's Guardians only for that very reason," Beorn said. "Humans have their own spot out toward one of the shallower water reservoirs. There's one in particular that dries up around autumn, leaving it the perfect depth to freeze by Dawning. I would suggest we go ice skating there but it's usually crowded and the ice cut up so badly it's difficult to move."
"That's alright. This looks fun on its own."
Farther away a few Titans engaged in a snowball fight and Franz took a step toward them when Beorn grabbed his arm.
"Remember what happened last time?" Beorn asked with a tilt of his head.
"Ah, c'mon Beorn. I only put rocks in em' cuz those brutes don't feel it otherwise."
Rorick cleared his throat.
"Sorry," Franz chuckled. "Look, I won't put rocks in the snowballs. Promise."
"Fine. But if you start a fight with them, I'm not bailing you out," Beorn said, releasing his friend who gave a quick smile and ran off to join the Titans by pegging one in the back of the head with a snowball.
"Let's get out of here before they bury him," Sisre laughed.
The stairwell going up to the gap in the Wall was narrow, cramped with people, and surprisingly hot. Then again, there were a lot of Exo Guardians crowded in. Their heat alone would be enough to warm the space.
"You can go first Wren," Rorick said. "Since it's your first time."
Wren squeezed between Sisre and Rorick to stand almost face to back with an Exo. Being so close and feeling their warmth, smelling the faint tinge of oil and metal made her smile. This Exo didn't have the added scent of spices, smoke, and leather that clung to Cayde, but it was enough to bring the thought of him to the foreground anyway.
They reached the top and Wren looked toward the sky where the sun was nearing its highest point. In a couple of hours they'd eat lunch, then hopefully meet up with Cayde.
"You ready?" Sisre asked and Wren's attention fell to the slope.
It was much steeper than she thought, the drop appearing almost straight down from on high. Adrenaline coursed through her and she thought of all the times they'd had to do this on missions; drop from some absurd height in the middle of battle. But this was different. Instead, it reminded her of the time in Kingstone Port when she'd jumped from the ridge into the lake below. That had been all in fun, and so was this. She sat with her knees on the sled, tilted forward, and felt her breath stop as the rush of wind shocked her system.
For a split second panic began and she gasped for breath, heart racing in her ears but once she could breath again all she could do was laugh, all the way to the bottom of the hill when she leaned too far back and her sled shot out from under her. She slid and tumbled the rest of the way down until finally coming to a stop near where Franz and the Titans were having a snowball fight.
Franz ran up, laughing, and helped her up. "You're not supposed to lose the sled," he said as a Titan returned it to them, his friendly face turned red from cold. He handed the sled over, gave Franz a playful shove, and returned to the fight.
White puffs escaped Wren's mouth as she caught her breath and watched Rorick, Beorn, and Sisre ride down the slope to join them. It was hard to believe the Cosmodrone was overrun with SIVA and Hunters were out there this very moment keeping a scouting mission going. The only thing they could do now was keep other Guardians from crossing the line and getting infected but the Vanguard was still keeping it as hush hush as possible.
Wren looked up at the clear blue sky and felt the weight of what was going on outside the Wall. Laughter and happy cheers from Guardians as they enjoyed their Dawning festivities faded into the background.
"Hey, don't do that," Beorn said, gently squeezing her shoulder. Wren looked up into his knowing optics. "We'll handle it when it's time. For now, we celebrate. Don't let these moments slip away."
Franz scooped Wren up and ran with her toward the line back to the top of the slope, her sled held tight. He plopped her down in the line and pushed her until at last they reached the gap.
"Leave that shit behind," he demanded and let out a victorious cry as they mounted the sled and flew down the slope to the rest of Cerulean.
Chaotic as it was, his method helped and Wren was able to leave most of the worries behind, save a small monster that lurked in the shadows, waiting for her to let her guard down again.
Events of the afternoon hours were enough to banish the bad thoughts away. After eating lunch, Cerulean and several other Guardians lined the streets of the restaurant district at makeshift booths where they baked cookies for their friends, loved ones, and the droves of civilian children who huddled around with bright smiles despite some of them lacking proper clothing for the snow clouds that had moved in.
The whole street smelled of fresh baked sweets and was warm from the small ovens and overcrowding of Guardians and civilians alike. People flocked to the area for that purpose alone and they passed with hands in their pockets, watching Guardians until one noticed them and offered packs of cookies.
Wren wished she'd known what to expect, as she would have brought Glimmer with her but seeing the children of the City like this made her realize how disconnected she'd become from them in her fight against the darkest beings of the system. She glanced toward the Tower, a beacon even here. She wanted to help these people, not just protect them.
"Did you make these?" Sisre asked, taking a cookie from Wren's pile, drawing her attention back to what she was doing.
"Yup."
"They're uh… are they supposed to be that dark?"
Wren's cheeks warmed. "Well, to be fair, I've never baked cookies before."
"They can't be that burnt," Franz said, shoving one down only to immediately start crunching loudly and coughing, bits of cookie shooting out before he could cover his mouth. "Good. Real good. Just uh, choked is all."
Wren raised a brow. "Oh, you want another one then?"
"Nah, I'm stuffed. Ya know, all that ramen and dumplings'll really get ya."
"I know they're no good," Wren sighed, looking down at the burnt and ruined cookies that not even the children wanted.
"Here," Beorn said, handing over a small lilac colored bag. "You'll want to give some to Cayde right?"
"I… wait, is that a thing?"
"Yup," Sisre replied, handing a bag to Rorick who accepted with a kiss on her cheek as he gave her cookies as well. "It's a Guardian tradition to bake for the people, but there are special cookies for other Guardians, friends or otherwise."
Wren took the bag Beorn gave her. "So I won't have cookies for any of you either?"
"Let's just say, we gratefully decline the offer," Franz smirked, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "You'll just owe us double next year."
"Ah, assuming the quality of your baking has improved," Rorick smirked.
"I'll do better next time," Wren promised.
"Hey, speaking of the ol' Hunter Vanguard, here he comes," Franz said.
Wren turned to see Cayde, taller than most of the civilians and of course the children, who crowded around him, some offering him things that it looked like he was trying to decline, but failing miserably. By the time he got to Cerulean, his pockets were full of bags of cookies, ribbons, and small cakes. Over his shoulders were strings of popcorn, dried herbs, and tiny paper snowflakes.
"What's all that about?" Wren laughed.
"It's just how the people show appreciation," Cayde explained. "I usually leave all this stuff at the hanger for the mechanics since they don't always get to celebrate with the rest of us."
"Is that going to cause trouble while we see the lights later?" Beorn asked.
"Nah, I'll get Sun to take care of it. I have a hooded poncho for when we walk around later. S'posed to snow later. Hope you're all ready for it." He glanced down at Wren's outfit and winked.
After playing in the snow that morning, she'd covered her pants with layers of skirts and a few wrap shirts with long sleeves that were tied back while she baked. Flour and sugar speckled the deep blue gray fabric.
"Alright then, let's get back to it," Sisre said as more children began to crowd their table.
Cayde stepped behind with Wren and the others and stripped off most of the items the civilians had given him and Sundance transmat them away. He laughed about her burned cookies before swiping them into the trash.
"You're leaving them in too long," he explained, leaning over her in the cramped booth to pull her cookies out of the table top oven. "There! See how they're just a little brown on the bottom here? That's what you're lookin' for. Got some more dough?"
"Almost ready," she replied, spooning new balls onto a baking sheet. She put the sheet into the oven and looked up over her shoulder to see him looming close, bright blue optics searching her face. "What?"
He smirked and wiped something off her nose. "Nothin'. Sorry I'm late. Had some issues in the hanger I wasn't expecting. So what did I miss?"
"We went sledding, joined some Titans in a snowball fight, then went to the ramen shop for lunch."
"Damn, I missed most of the good stuff. Eh, that's okay. Walking around to see the lights then the fireworks at midnight are my favorite parts anyway."
"Fireworks?"
"Aw you ruined it," Sisre groaned, slapping Cayde's chest. "Well, I guess since the cat's out of the bag, we're using your den to watch the fireworks."
"And we might have decorated it too," Franz laughed.
"Really? Can we go see?" Wren was giddy with excitement.
"We'll get there, Sugarbird, don't rush it. Hey, your cookies are almost ready and you have some hungry visitors." Cayde gestured to the children that were now peering over the top of the table at the cookies Cayde had saved.
He was right. They still had a few hours before nightfall when the others had said the residential areas of the City would be decorated. In the meantime, they were here, talking and laughing, squeezing past one another to bake and serve. And oddly enough? She couldn't think of anything else she'd rather be doing. Especially with Cayde glancing at her here and there, gentle touches to her lower back and hands when no one was watching.
One way or another, she was going to tell him how she felt. The sooner, the better.
"That cloak is a terrible disguise," Wren said, peering up at Cayde as they turned the corner into the residential area.
"Are you kiddin'? Do you have any idea how many sketchy situations I've gotten out of with my disguises?"
Wren arched a brow.
"Well, sure it was only once but it was a good once!"
Wren snorted and shook her head. "How on earth did you manage to be the one to get the Vanguard position?"
"Good looks and charm."
"I'll let you have that one."
Cayde feigned shock. "Is that you talking or all that eggnog you had at dinner?"
"I dunno, maybe both. But I'm not drunk," she pointed.
The farther they walked the brighter the City around them became. The tall buildings that housed a majority of the citizens was almost claustrophobic, narrowing the streets considerably. They were normally dark and rather drab with lines hung between them for laundry that was sometimes even shared with residents that lived across alleys.
Tonight those lines were covered with lights and banners in Dawning colors. Candles shimmered all over, reflecting from snow as it fell onto the Guardians and civilians alike as they walked around. Some stopped to dance to tunes that changed every half block by musicians who were entertaining the crowds. Cayde dropped Glimmer into every pot as they passed and Wren felt her heart swell watching him with the people. It was no wonder that they adored him. He was with them. Supporting them. Vanguard yes, but he was more involved than she'd ever seen Zavala and Ikora.
Perhaps that wasn't fair, she wasn't around them much, but with Cayde it was obvious. She thought back on their first encounter. Oh how angry she'd been at his callous remark about betting on her death. It pushed her to do… well, everything she'd accomplished. Even after that anger had faded and something else taken its place, everything she did was…
Wren looked away from him to focus on Beorn's back as he and Franz walked just ahead of them. Guilt made her bite back the truth. Children ran past with poles topped with serpentine creatures that fluttered in the breeze. She should be fighting for them. To protect everything the City stood for. She looked to beyond the tops of the buildings to where the Traveler hung overhead, and a lump rose in her throat.
She'd been brought back to protect these people, but instead she did what she did because she wanted to prove Cayde wrong. Now she wanted to protect him. How many times had she looked back to Earth and wondered what he was doing? Things had become complicated in the way that she didn't like to admit these things, despite them being true.
"Hey, you okay?" Cayde asked and Wren's attention snapped back to him. She forced a smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"It's a difficult time of year," he said quietly, walking closer. "Hard not to think about all the heavy stuff. It gets better though."
"Does it really?"
"That's what I keep tellin' myself. Here," he extended his hand slightly and though it was mostly hidden by his knee length poncho she understood and slipped her hand in his. He gave it a squeeze and tucked it into his pocket, still laced tight with his. "I guess I should have said it's better when you have people goin' through it with you. You're not doin' this alone, kid."
Wren leaned a little closer to him as they walked, the guilt fading as the warmth of him seeped through the cold of the night.
They continued on for countless blocks with always something new to see. Vendors along the way sold hot drinks, some with splashes of liquor which Wren and the rest of Cerulean indulged in. Every Cayde helped himself to a few as they wandered toward the Tower where close to midnight they made their way in a group to Wren's den which was decorated in small banners and flags, strung lights, and unlit candles.
Beorn lit them all while Rorick and Sisre made hot chocolate and unwrapped cookies from earlier.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Wren said, handing over the pouch she'd gotten from Beorn. "I didn't make these so I guess they're safe."
"I woulda been happy with the burnt ones. You can make some stiff snowballs with burned cookies." Cayde tucked the cookies away as Wren took a playful jab at him.
"Everyone to the roof!" Rorick said, raising his glass so fast that some of it spilled. "Shit."
"You've had a bit too much tonight," Sisre laughed.
Cayde hopped up on top of the rubble wall, then to the roof before helping Wren up. They sat side by side on the rooftop where Wren made herself comfortable by taking his poncho and wrapping it around her shoulders. Her cheeks warmed when he scoot in closer and leaned onto his hand. He was so very close but she still wasn't sure if her cheeks were hot because he was close or because she felt light and relaxed from the drinks she'd consumed as they walked.
The others joined them, Franz taking up the rear but when he did come up, the others pointed and laughed. Wren looked up to see Franz standing over her and Cayde with a clump of leaves she didn't recognize.
"Aw, don't mess with her like that," Cayde chuckled nervously.
"What is it?" Wren asked.
"It's mistletoe," Franz giggled. "When you're under it you gotta kiss."
"Kiss?"
"You don't have to do that," Cayde insisted but he couldn't hold eye contact with her. "It's just some dumb old tradition that lasted way longer than it should have." He swatted at Franz who laughed and put the plant in his pocket.
"It was worth a try," Franz shrugged.
Wren watched at Cayde, who was still so very close, turned his attention to the fireworks that had begun to light the sky. The joy she'd seen in him all day had faded somewhat and he seemed deep in thought. Had the mistletoe bothered him? She bit her lip. Maybe he was nervous. Or insecure? Their… whatever they were, was difficult to pin down. She needed to change that.
Wren put her hand to Cayde's cheek and turned his face to look at her with confusion. He started to speak but she was too afraid her nerves wouldn't hold out so she leaned in and kissed him, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to the warm metal plates of his mouth. Her heart pounded and for an instant she thought he might pull away but instead he leaned in, only stopping when a laugh overtook him from the reactions of the others which had devolved into drunken teasing and cheering.
Cayde cupped the back of Wren's head and pulled her in to kiss her forehead. She leaned against him, content to be so open in front of him and her fireteam. This was it. The peace she wanted. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle whirring mechanisms in Cayde, the sounds of her friends celebrating, and the fireworks that couldn't compare to the ones she felt in her chest.