Title: Destiny: Lost Guardian Files
Rating: M - For mature themes.
Pairing: Hunter-AwokenOC x Cayde-6
Chapter: Three - File Three
Genre: Angst, Drama, Adventure, Romance
It was an interesting feeling, retaking her mantle as a Hunter once more.
Even though it was supposed to be temporary. Only to help out with taking back the City, nothing more, nothing less.
But damn it all if it didn't feel good to have a Fire Team at her back again, Guardian's to laugh as they shared drinks over victories again, no matter how small. Hell, someone else to talk to and they understand.
It felt great.
Which is why it absolutely terrified her. This life was so fucking easy to fall back into. To find herself running missions on a whim for the Vanguard; Doing whatever they tossed at her, to spread the resistance across not just Earth, but the universe, as well.
"With a few more missions tucked away, we may have a chance at regaining control of the City."
The excited tone made the white haired Awoken look up. Zavala was looking elated, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.
Rising from her perch, Vesper slowly made her way towards the makeshift War table they set up, her eyes narrowed as she looked at all the plans laid out, the missions completed, where their strong footholds were. He was right, a few more and they could.
"But we need to free the Traveler at the same time, Zavala."
Suddenly all eyes were on her, Vesper feeling her cheeks heat up. Looking up, she swallowed, giving a weak smile. "Taking back the City is important, yes. But getting our Light back, getting the Traveler free from Ghaul's control is top priority." She might have renounced her Guardianship with the Tower, but she, though reluctantly admitted it, still did some Light-based work before she settled down.
"The only way we're going to do that, Guard-" he stopped himself, clearing his throat. "Is with some kind of teleporter." Their eyes met, Vesper feeling herself sigh before she did, nodding. He had a point. "Tech we don't have access too at this moment, but maybe by-"
"Getting the City back? What remains of the Tower?" Ikora interjected, looking a bit annoyed. Taking a moment, she shook her head. "We should utilize the tech we have right now."
"What about the Vex teleporter system?"
Once more the room was quiet, all eyes on her. Again.
Vesper chewed the inside of her cheek, sighing. This was already getting old.
"What? You guys know what I'm talking about here." Walking towards the table, she moved some things aside, grabbing a spare piece of paper and a pen, writing things down. "If we can alter a few commands, find the signal that can get us on Ghaul's War ship, then from there get to the trap's command module, not only do we have a foothold in the City," she paused for affect, smiling a little, "but also a better chance at freeing the Traveler."
The room was silent for a long, tense moment before Zavala laughed, the other's following suit. At least someone could find humor in all of this.
Still, she smiled, the tension leaving her shoulders. The Awoken female was glad that her words hadn't fallen on deaf ears. For once.
"You're right, Vesper," Zavala said at last, wiping his eyes. Their eyes met once more, and in that moment, she saw, everything was going to be alright. "I was hoping someone would bring up the Vex for that very reason." Great minds think alike, it seems.
Shooting Ikora a glance, she saw the Warlock leader nodding in approval.
But then that left the only burning question left in the room.
"Where's Cayde?"
Nessus. Why did it have to be on fucking Nessus?
Even so, dropping in, Vesper summoned her sub machine gun, sighing. Another Guardian had done the hard part. If the Awoken recalled correctly, they were also the one who faced off with Ghaul.
She felt, at this point, that Guardian needed a stiff, hard drink once this was all over.
Hell, after this whole war was over, she needed a long, stiff drink.
"I've located the Cayde-6 unit." Jumping, she was glad her finger hadn't been on her trigger. "Sorry," came the little apology from her Ghost.
"Warn a girl next time." Hopping down from the ledge, she looked around. Nessus definitely had changed since the Vex invaded it. She had only been here once before, a long, long time ago.
Walking the path to the coordinates her Ghost had located, Vesper couldn't help but whistle at the crash sight as they came up over the hill. "Well shit. You said he's here?"
"Yes, I believe he's talking with the Exodus' AI," Orion commented softly. Sometimes she swore she could see the little cogs in his brain working, spinning away.
"Oh joy, another guest." Came a flat reply suddenly over their coms. "Nice to meet you! Are you a friend of the Cayde-6?" Okay, now they were chipper as ever.
Vesper stopped, looking at her Ghost, her brow raised.
"Yes," she answered slowly, checking her bullet count. Never hurts to be prepared. "I am his friend."
"Vesper, it's all good. Failsafe is on our side."
Easy for him to say… She thought to herself, making her way towards the crash site. Nothing was out of place at the moment, but she did spy that the Fallen had made themselves a little nest here, near the Failsafe's drive core.
That was a touch concerning.
Walking up the steps, she was surprised when the doors opened, Cayde striding out like it was no big deal. Giving him a shove, she smiled from in her helmet. "Some Vanguard leader you are, disappearing on a whim."
"Hey, sometimes the best adventures are done on a whim, no?"
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head slowly. "You're incorrigible, you know that, right?"
"I know." His tone was soft, intimate as he stepped closer to her, touching her helmet. "But someone around here can't forget that they're a Hunter, and wasting away in a War room for decades at a time is mentally draining."
She swallowed, nodding slowly, sighing softly.
He had her there.
In her early days, Cayde would beg anyone and everyone to take him back into the field, Ikora and Zavala happy to stay within the Tower and plan everything from a distance. No, her Leader was meant for the field; Exploring, causing mayhem and chaos.
"No, I suppose they can't," the Awoken agreed softly, stepping back. "Either way, they're waiting for you and that… Tech."
The blue Exo laughed, shaking his head. "I sent it on ahead with our Guardian friend."
"Oh." Well that explained the ship leaving orbit as she entered. This person was still new to her, she hadn't met them officially, not that there was time for a lot of that right now.
Shaking her head, Vesper tapped her gun, lost in thought. Hearing the familiar distorted hiss of a Fallen grenade, she glanced over her shoulder, seeing some of these unfamiliar house crawling back in. "Want to go Fallen hunting?"
"You read my mind."
For the first time in a very, very long time, Vesper was surprised that when she rolled over in bed, her companion was still there. At first, she had reached for her hand cannon, ready to shoot the intruder when she remembered who it was.
Sliding her gun back under her pillow, she sat up, looking over his sleeping form. Or rest mode. Basically whatever his kind really called it.
In all her time as a Hunter, she had only seen him with his hood down twice; Once to mourn the loss of a fellow Guardian, and another, on a day he was holding a battered, old journal to his chest, crying softly. Never once did she question it, bring it up, invading his privacy.
But it was interesting, watching the Cayde-6 unit rest, his LED's flickering softly as he twitched in his sleep here and there. Gently moving closer, she was unable to help herself, touching his metal cheek as he slept. It was smooth, as she remembered, and cool, but not cold. There was a soft warmth to him.
Absently, as she stroked his face, her touch almost like a ghosts, she wondered if it had to do with his human soul being within the body of a robot. Or from what little Light he retained. Either way, blue metal or skin, Vesper knew in that moment how much she loved this sonovabitch.
"You know, if you keep staring at me like that," he grumbled, opening one blue eye, the light flickering some, indicating his sleep was desturbed, "I'll need to start charging you."
"Can't I get a freebie?" she pouted, her teal eyes alight and playful, tapping the tip of his horn.
He laughed, the sound tired as he moved to sit up in her bed, rubbing his face. He still looked tired, his eyes unfocused as he looked out the window beside her bed, the Traveler still in sight, entrapped by the invading Cabal.
She knew that look; The Restlessness knowing he had to wait to do something, anything conductive. In a few hours, Zavala would call for a meeting that would last hours, going over every last detail of the plan, making sure it would be perfect.
It had to be perfect.
"Hey," she whispered, climbing into his lap, touching his face, coaxing him to look back at her. His hands were instantly on her, one on her hip for stability, the other at her waist, blue LED meeting luminescent teal. So much was left unsaid between them, whether by choice or because the timing was never right. She swallowed hard, her breathing coming in short pants, her pale blue hands shaking.
"Ves," he whispered, pulling her flush against him, tucking her head into the crook of his neck, holding her as she shook violently, her fists balled up between them. She was crying, she could feel the warm tears, but there were no words, no sobs. Quiet sniffles and hiccups.
Silence followed this, only broken by her soft sounds; Sighs, sniffs or the uncontrollable various sounds her body made. The ladder would make him chuckle softly, but there was nothing said until her shaking had stopped, her breaths even and calm.
"I love you," the Awoken whispered softly, her eyes closing as his hold tightened, an unneeded breath making his chest swell against hers. She swore, she could almost hear a heartbeat, racing against her ear.
Love was a dangerous thing for Guardians. It was alright to love one another as a familial unit; Brothers and Sisters in arms. Romantic love was… a whole different thing. Romantic love killed a lot more Guardians than anything else. It made you unfocused and vulnerable.
It wasn't forbidden, but it was heavily frowned upon. Three guesses by who.
Still, she wasn't expecting a response to it. Cayde was notorious for his many lady loves, the women he wooed, fucked and moved on from. Some were okay with it, some were not. Okay, a lot were not. But the Exo Hunter still got around.
At least those were the rumors. Vesper never paid much attention to them, but sometimes, she wondered, just how many were actually really true. The list was long, whomever all these women were. Cayde had been alive quite a long time.
Rumor had it Mara Sov was one of the names on the list. Petra, too.
Even still, they stayed like that for a long time, Vesper not even realizing she had fallen back to sleep until he was gently shaking her awake, telling her Zavala was furious they were late. The young Awoken laughed, shrugging as she pulled herself up, leaning in, giving him a long kiss.
"Let him wait," she breathed between kisses, giggling as she was lowered to the bed, the warmth of their bubble melting the remaining ice she had encased her heart in.
"I couldn't agree more."
She would end up hurt again, this she knew. But hell with it, she wanted to enjoy this happiness while she could.
Authors Note ; Whaaaatttt? What's this? A third installment already?
Just kidding! Sort of. This is officially chapter/file/whatever three.
Like I said in chapter two, this is a bit of an AU and I'm willing to admit I've moved some things around, for the flow of this story and how things are going.
Or just chalk certain events already having happened because my other story will follow the campaign with my OC. Vesper is an OC, but not the main Guardian OC that is myself insert.
Anyway, happy reading and feel free to review!