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She has him in her sights.
He'd made a good show until now; a thorough game of cat and mouse in which the two participants dutifully danced between both roles. And she has to give Cayde his due credit -- there had been a few close calls here and there, most too close for comfort. If she hadn't mastered the Nightstalker's trick of vanishing in her own smoke grenade, he would have had her by now.
( he knows her tricks. he has to; he's been able to predict almost all of her strategies down to the letter. she's only made it this far by utilizing the Hunter's best tool in their collective arsenal: adaptability. thinking outside the box. even then, she's still down to the wire. underestimating him would be a costly mistake. )
( after all, Cayde-6 had always been infinitely more clever than he liked to let on, and exactly as wily as a centuries-old rogue ought to be. it seemed the several decades of betting on her Crucible prowess were now playing to his direct favor. )
Skadi's finger flexes around the trigger of the MIDA as a vague smile plays at her lips, though the taste of imminent victory seems almost hollow. The heavy weight of the Multi-Tool is hardly what she'd prefer to be using at present -- she far favors her Hawkmoon, forged and specialized exactly to her tastes -- but if it takes a good scout rifle and an elevated position for her to finish the job, then that's what it takes.
She hadn't been able to best him at close range, a lesson she'd learned with great haste. Deadly with a handcannon and a knife in her grasp as she was, equally so was he.
One well-placed shot from the Ace of Spades had taken down her shields. She'd lunged, her knives flashing in the dimming sunlight as they arced towards him -- but he knew her gambit. He had deflected with relative ease, only taking a minor scratch to his armor in the process. Her solace lay in the parting shot she'd landed with Hawkmoon.
Not enough to kill. She would have needed a second shot for that, and she risked her safety if she stuck around to fire again. Just enough to break his shields and leave him stunned before she disappeared behind a corner, then up through a hole in the ceiling. ( tactical advantage would be hers if he followed.)
This was to say nothing of her attempted ambush, of course. Hand-to-hand combat required vastly different tactics than fighting at close-range, and she'd hoped that getting in up close and personal with a sword would shift the balance in her favor.
It hadn't.
Though it was obvious swords were not a regular player in Cayde's arsenal, it seemed that tripmine grenades were , and somehow in the scuffle he'd managed to attach one to the blade of her weapon. Only the grenade’s shrill beeping had tipped her off --- she'd had merely a scant second or two to drop her weapon and leap away in smoke before the explosion would have netted him a point. ( over her felled body. )
Yes, they were well matched indeed. Shots rang through the terse atmosphere like traded retorts, peppering the otherwise quiet twilight; neither could manage to gain any ground over the other. Such were the unforeseen consequences of the once-apprentice taking on her mentor's combat style.
( she hadn't been able to help it, really. something about the warmth and weight of her Golden Gun had just felt right the first time her Light had manifested. between her sharp eye and sharper reflexes lending their talents to her skill with throwing knives, and her affinity for throwing swarm grenades just before landing the final shot with a handcannon, Skadi was a natural Gunslinger through and through. from there… well, it had all just fallen into place under the guidance of Cayde’s ‘teaching.’ )
The timbre of his voice had been low as he chuckled, rolling off the rubble surrounding them. Not a word was spoken between them or their Ghosts since the match had started. There was only the tense silence of the battlefield, the thrumming determination to win that coursed through both of them.
( so much was at stake. the sound of his voice served as an excellent reminder of what she had to lose --- what she had already lost. )
( she can't let him do this. )
And thus, Skadi lines up her shot.
- ♤ ●
"You shouldn't have had to ground yourself to take up my mantle," the Exo had protested over dinner one night, gesturing passionately with his chopsticks. "I know, I know, position is rightfully yours, I'm not challenging that. I'm just sayin', it's not like I'm unfit for duty. Cayde-6 is back and better than ever, babe."
A fond roll of her eyes served as the Awoken’s response. "You hated every second you spent trapped in the Tower, Cayde. Don't try to pretend like you didn't."
"I did, but I earned that awful job fair and square," he'd muttered as he shoveled food into his processor. It was one of few times she'd seen him manage to be bitter while he had his mouth full of noodles.
"So did I. By being the only person qualified enough to handle it."
The quip rolled off her tongue easily. Though it was true she'd never officially taken the Dare -- nor had he ever posed one to her, specifically -- Skadi had taken the terms of Cayde's will to heart. 'I leave all my possessions to the person, alien, animal, or natural phenomenon what kills me.' That had included the Vanguard position so far as she was concerned, and when she'd put a bullet in The Betrayer’s skull, that had passed Cayde's belongings down one step further. To her.
Said companion had spluttered with faux outrage then, slamming down his chopsticks to push a finger into her collarbone. ( oh, the exaggerated drama… )
"Ex cuse you. You say that like you can do it better than an old master."
"I don't have to say it," she'd stated with a wry smile and a twinkle in her eye. "Just ask Ikora; I didn't need to go through your old work to know that she's grateful to have actual reports to read."
"Alright, y'know what, missy?" He had leaned in close, then, nearly brushing the hair off her forehead with the tip of his horn. She had almost wanted to close the gap; shut him up by showing him something far better to be doing with his mouth than convincing her to let him martyr himself.
Instead, she simply let her quirked eyebrow and faint flash of teeth do the talking.
( and she certainly hadn't missed the flicker of attraction in his optics when he'd caught the movement. )
"We're gonna settle this the old fashioned way --- well, okay, technically the new-ish fashioned way, but don't say that in front of Shaxx. One on one. First to five, or whoever has more points by time."
She'd sat up straighter in her seat. "The wager?"
"I win, and I take up my old job. You step down and you get to continue living your life as a free Guardian."
"... And if I win?"
A shrug. "Name your terms."
"... I keep the position if I win. You enjoy being a Hunter in the field for the first time in over a century."
His mouthplates had twitched --- though in grimace or in a smirk, she couldn't tell. For once, his eyes betrayed none of his secrets.
A hand extended, then shaken.
"You got yourself a deal, darlin'."
- ♤ ●
The scope of her rifle glints against the light of the setting sun. With a hissed curse at her recklessness, Skadi prepares to fire before her position is given away -- not calculating for the reflection was a rookie mistake. She can't let him win.
Ten seconds left.
One clean shot.
His head jerks upwards, teal blue optics meeting her eyes in the scope. He's seen her. ( but it didn't have to be the end if she just--- )
She steadies herself on an inhale. Goes to pull the trigger.
( --- those same brilliant optics faded to nothing, half his face warped into sharp edges and scorched metal, his body limp in her arms; she'd scream his name if she could but her breath is lodged in her throat and her Ghost isn't doing anything, why isn't Ullr doing anything heal him heal him save him sAVE HIM SAVE CAYDE DON'T LET HIM ---- )
Her trigger finger goes slack, her exhale a scrape like knives in her lungs. A flash of Arc energy crackles through the atmosphere as he disappears from her line of sight.
Then the electricity surges over her armor, leaving her tongue heavy with the taste of ozone. A blade presses its cool edge against her throat where her breath is still held captive, an arm around her middle yanking her body backwards and out of her firing stance.
Five seconds.
He's behind her. Solid. Warm, tingling from his Blink. Breathing heavy where his chest is flush to her back. Alive .
The MIDA clatters harshly to the ground.
Three seconds.
He has her this time. There's no escape.
Her eyes close in acceptance.
She's lost.
"TIME!" roars Shaxx. The voice of the Crucible handler booms across the battlefield, though the only two participants in this match have yet to break apart.
"A DRAW ??? A BLOODY DRAW? ?? TWO VANGUARDS GOING HEAD TO HEAD ON THE FIELD AND WE HAD A ZERO/ZERO DRAW???????"
If Skadi could hear her friend's fuming, she'd almost certainly be chuckling. The blood rushing through her ears, however, has drowned out all but the sound of her own heartbeat.
Her heart is still beating.
He... hadn't ended her.
As if sensing her thoughts, the knife at her throat relaxes. Pulls away just enough to give her space, without slackening the grip around her waist.
She turns in his grasp, tilting her head to make eye contact. ( and she doesn't miss the intensity of his gaze, the sheer depths of emotion revealed within. )
( she wasn't the only one who couldn't bring herself to do it. )
Something pained flickers across his face, some thought she can't quite place --- as his eyes search hers, she's all too aware of the raw, naked grief that must be laid bare over her features.
He releases a ragged, airless breath. The knife drops to the ground next to her Multi-Tool.
"I concede," Cayde whispers.
She moves in a single lithe twist of her body. Her hand comes to rest over the arm that’s now coiled across her shoulders, simultaneously raising on her toes to nudge her head against the underside of his jaw. Without missing a beat, he nuzzles into the starlight mass of her hair.
It's impossible for her to restrain the soft sob that slips from her lungs, unbidden -- though, proud woman that she is, she forces her eyes shut before the mistiness can overflow. ( too many witnesses here. she won't let her tears betray her to anyone but him. )
His arms, a cage mere seconds before, squeeze her once against his frame. I'm here, they say.
Her off-hand wraps around his wrist where it lays against her waist. She returns the squeeze, and only somewhat attempts to steady her voice when she murmurs: "... I concede as well."
Somewhere in the distance, Shaxx's voice still booms across the field. Neither of them hear it. Neither of them process it.
They simply hold each other.
- ♤ ●
"I have an idea,” Skadi begins later that night, her hand intertwined with Cayde’s as they walk the Tower's terrace. They had gone to retire to her quarters for a time; both Hunters found themselves emotionally drained after their duel, and while she was certain there were people who would want to check on her --- her Fireteam, to start --- there was something deeply soothing about the quiet darkness of her room.
( no doubt owed mostly to him. there had been no point while moving from point a to point b in which their physical contact was lost -- only lessened. a hand on her shoulder. a brush of her arm around his waist. and then they'd fallen into her bed together, only bothering to transmat the grimiest pieces of armor off before he and she became a singular entangled, exhausted mass. )
( she’d wound up curled into him, his chin resting over the top of her head. his hands threaded themselves through her hair. her palm rested against his face, fingers tracing the edges of metal that had once been lost to his own gun. )
( and he'd spoken to her, soft as anything, about each and every thought that came to mind. most of it was narration of his perspective during their duel --- "you nearly got me with the sword, you know," "going through that crack in the ceiling was genius. genius ," "did you miss me with those knives on purpose?" --- but eventually he strayed into other trains of thought. )
( "you were like a god of war out there. you always are. can’t believe I get to witness you. can’t believe that after everything…” )
( she had twisted, then, propping herself up on her elbows to gaze down at him. and though she licked at her lips, preparing herself to speak… she couldn’t manage to summon the words to express herself. none of them felt right. )
( so she didn’t. )
( the request to Ullr had taken a fraction of a second; her Ghost knew her even better than she did, sometimes. the transmission pings between he and Sundance took slightly longer, but when it had gone through -- )
( Cayde’s eyes had blown wide as the wave of Skadi’s emotions overwhelmed him, translated on a delay through their Ghosts. dedication. trust. respect. attraction. endearment. the grief of losing him. the ache his voicelog for her had left. and the force of thoroughly devoted love so deep he felt as though he may drown in it. )
( “It was always you, Cayde.” )
( there had been nothing else to say after that. )
He cuts through her thoughts with a barked laugh and his equivalent of a grin, all raised eyebrows and flaring optics. "An idea, huh? Always a good sentence to hear from you… unless it involves doing something that gets me in trouble. You're not about to hijack Eris' ship and crash it into the side of a massive dreadnaught again, are you?"
She levels an accusatory look at him --- thoroughly undercut by the smile that belies her affection. " You planned that. "
"And I'd do it again. Especially if you asked me to."
She huffs an airy laugh, equal parts endeared and exasperated.
"Now now, c'mon, don't think you can get me on the hook just to distract me and leave me hangin'. I mean, you can , and I'll let you, but ---"
With great love in her heart, Skadi efficiently silences him by taking his face between her hands and proceeding to kiss his lights out.
"Motormouth," she hums.
A sound akin to a wheeze escapes him.
"Listening?"
"...Mhm."
"So,” she starts after huffing another affectionate laugh. “My idea. It starts with you running away from the Tower and losing yourself in the wilderness for a while."
The dreamy look on his face is quickly overridden as he blinks back to reality. "Wait, waitwait, bu---"
The Awoken arches a critical brow.
"Look I know I said I was listening, and I am, I swear -- Speaker, you have no idea how much I listen to you --- but you gotta hear me for a second. Skadi ---"
"You're interrupting me to turn down being a free Hunter?" she asks, voice lilting. Teasing.
"Nono, that's my point, " he groans. His focus centers entirely on her as he reaches to cover one of her hands with his. ( and gods, the intensity with which his optics flare when he looks at her… )
"Darlin', all the freedom in the world doesn’t mean bupkis if I'm alone. I mean, what does it matter, tearing through the wilderness, charting the unknown, killin' baddies and takin' loot if ---"
He breaks off. She watches the mechanics of his throat flex, as if swallowing; when the amber lights of his voice synthesizer flash next, his tone is hushed. Sincere. Bashful.
"... it’s not worth it. If you're not there with me."
It hits her like a Titan’s shoulder-charge to hear him say it. ( heat burns in her cheeks; does she look equally as stunned as she thinks she does? ) And lacking the words to express herself once more, Skadi turns back towards the language that never fails her.
Her lips press with aching tenderness to his. Slender fingers caress down his jawline as her thumbs trace the planes of his facial plates, careful of the way they move when he gasps. So much of herself is channeled into the kiss that she nearly loses herself in it --- not helped when Cayde’s off-hand reaches for her waist and pulls her in closer.
She’s never been one for intoxication. Not really. But when it’s him…
Gods, when it's him, she's not certain she ever wants to come up for breath.
“... You should let me finish,” she whispers against his mouth. With great delight, she watches as his eyes flutter open, blinking blearily back to life.
“Y-yeah. Okay.” He sounds just as weak as she feels; a synthesized clear of his throat seems to steady his voice a touch. “Floor’s yours.”
“You go off into the sunset. And I go right there beside you; we run away. Go follow the stars… get lost in space. You and me."
His fingers flex against hers, pressing into the spaces between them.
“... I’d like that,” he rasps. “I’d like that very much. But look, babe, one of us ---”
“ --- has to stay for long enough to pass the title on to my protégé," interrupts Skadi. "I already know who will take my place… it's a perfect match for his skillset. And he's already accepted my Dare."
He stares at her like she’s just brought the sun down from the sky and handed it to him. ( like he believes she could if she wanted to. )
"What did you bet?"
She smiles with a faint touch of pride. "I dared him to want it. If he beat me, it was all his."
“You… you clever, perfect ---”
Within the space of a heartbeat, her feet are swept from under her as she’s supported by a solid set of arms, clutched tightly to Cayde’s chest while he spins them both in a giddy circle. Her arms quickly wrap around his shoulders for stability, graceful as ever; the air around them practically hums with the strength of his adoration, her devotion.
Laughter echoes like a chorus of bells off the walls of the Tower. If anyone were still awake, they’d almost certainly want to locate the source of all the noise --- but anyone with half a sound mind had long since gone to bed or retired to more private quarters. The pair of Guardians were the only two left under the ethereal glow of the Traveler, for tonight.
His gleeful arc finished, he lowers his forehead to hers, nuzzling into her. “You're the greatest treasure I ever found, y'know that? Dunno what I did to deserve you. What god or otherwise decided I was worthy of you, after all this time. But damn them all if I’m ever letting go of you."
Skadi’s eyes shine with emotion when she gazes up at him. “Finders keepers," she chuckles softly, sliding the palm of her hand down to rest over his chest. Over his heart.
“... Yeah. Yeah. Finders keepers, darlin'."