Chapter 7

For the past few weeks, the evening dinners became a daily routine. Nax would pass her time reading or helping Amanda on repairing bikes and ships. Around six, she will meet Cayde outside of the Hall of Heroes before heading to the restaurant that Cayde would rave about the night before. Sometimes Nax will admit the food would be good. But other times, she will put on a fake unimpressed look on her face to see the disbelief look on his face.

One-night, Cayde turns towards Nax as she's slurping up a noodle. "Hey, Nax?"

"Hm?" She turns to him, chewing on a slurp noodle, with a quick swallow, she reaches for her drink. "Yes, Cayde? What's up?"

"Well, I have the day off tomorrow and," He stops seeing a confused look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Nax shakes her head. "Nothing, I'm just surprise hearing about a day off. I thought Vanguards doesn't have day-offs."

The exo chuckles a little, the orange light flashing a little bit at the back of his throat. "Yeah, well, we do get days off. We just use them differently. But anyway, thanks to you, I was able to work enough to gain a day off. So, I was thinking,"

Nax's brow knit together. "Thanks to me? How is it, thanks to me? We just have dinner together; it's not like I help you on missions or paperwork."

"Well," He drags out the word as he rubs the back of his neck, wondering why he finds it hard to tell her this. "Since I needed to kill time before dinner, I found out if I do work, it makes time goes by faster." He confesses to her, watching Nax's blue cheeks turn a pale purple before looking away from each other.

Nax clears her throat, waiting for the warm feeling in her cheeks to subsides. "So," Her voice cracks a little, so she clears her throat. What are you planning to do on your day off? Are you going to try to sneak out of the Tower?" She jokes, trying to ease the tension a bit.

"Ah, well, I was wondering if you want to go to the outer part of the city, District Seven."

"District Seven? Why there?"

"I heard they are holding a festival there. I thought it would be fun. They will have games, shows, and of course, food, So I thought,"

As Cayde continues, he begins to sound far away to Nax, as she hears her heart thump in her ears. Before she could realize she answer him with a stern no.

"Oh, well, why not?" Cayde asks, trying not to sound hurt.

"Why? Well, um, I will be busy tomorrow. I promise Amanda I would help her fix a few bikes." She tells him.

"You are? But I thought you said last week you guys gotten them all done."

"We did," Nax looks away for a few minutes. "It's just before I head out tonight, Amanda call me asking me to come over tomorrow to help her. I'm sorry, Cayde." The awoken says, watching crestfallen appearing on his face making her feel horrible for lying to him.

"No worries." He tries not the sound disappointed as he turns back to his meal. "Maybe another time."

She nods and turns back to her meal as she opens her hand to adjust the chopsticks, only to notice that the chopsticks broke in half. She was carefully putting them aside, making sure Cayde didn't see it, as she reaches for a new set of chopsticks and goes back to her meal.

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"You ask Nax to the festival? What were you thinking?" Amanda asks, taking her shot.

"I thought it would be more fun and a different change of pace since we only go out at night when I get off work. I didn't think she would turn me down that coldly and fast." The hunter says, nursing his beer. After their awkward dinner, he didn't want to go home right away, so he calls the only person that will still be willing to meet him this late at night if he was paying, of course. Amanda is that friend.

Amanda orders another shot and a chaser. "So, did she tell you why she couldn't go?" she asks, watching her friend crying in his beer.

"She said you needed help repairing bikes that arrive last minute, and that's why she couldn't come tomorrow." He informs her.

After thanking the robot bartender, Amanda turns to Cayde, confuse. "What bikes?"

"I thought so," Cayde sighs, "She lied to me." He says, sounding a bit sad.

"I mean, she only did a little." The blond-haired person begins to explain. "Before you call me, Nax called me, asking if I have anything for her to do tomorrow. I was a bit surprised, and when I asked why she couldn't give me a reason, she just asked me if I had anything for her. Now I see why she asked unexpectedly. She takes her shot and twists the cap of her beer off. Seeing the hurt and confusion on his face still, Amanda places a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Cayde, don't take it personally."

In a sudden quick motion, Cayde grabs his beer and chugs half of it before putting it down. Though the beer is supposed to be great here, it tastes flat to him tonight. "How can I not take it personally. She made up an excuse not to hang out with me for more than a few hours. I bet she only sees me as a free meal. Ugh! I got con again, and this time it's by a warlock.

The mechanic is surprised how upset he is with someone making an excuse not to hang out with him. She lets out a long slow sigh and orders him another beer. 'Sorry, Nax, but if you didn't want me to involve, you shouldn't use me as part of your excuse.' "I'm assuming she didn't tell you, did she?"

She looks at his human friend with an annoyed look. "I told you what she told me, what else is there to tell? She doesn't want to hang with me, and she's,"

"Not that." She says, shaking her head. "Geeze, Nax is going to kill me." Amanda says under her breath before looking back at Cayde, "Nax hates crowds; actually, she's scared of crowds."

The exo raise a plate brow, "What? No, she's not. If she's scared of crowds, how was she okay going on the train, or entering those small food shops each night?"

"Tell me, on the train, what was she doing?" The blond-haired person asks.

Cayde thinks for a moment, trying to remember. "On the train, on the ride down, she would read her book until I have gotten her to talk, on the way back, she just read her book."

"What about the small food shops? Was she close to you?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, the shops are small." Cayde shrugs.

"I mean oddly too close."

Cayde pauses and thinks. 'Was Nax too close to me? I mean, she was almost holding my arm when we leave, but that could be because she could be a little drunk. But after the first night, she has been pacing herself.' "We just talk and drink."

She points her finger at him. "Those are her coping habits. She does them to distracts herself. It helps her not of the fact she's in a crowd of people. If she doesn't keep herself distracted, she gets," The blonde mechanic pauses trying to think about the right word. "Squirrely? She goes into a panic and becomes hyperaware of her surroundings." She tells him, taking a sip of her beer.

The hunter vanguard looks at his friend's stun and feeling a bit ashamed that he didn't notice, the whole time they have been having dinner together, how come he didn't see any of this until Amanda mention it. Here he is whining about how she cons him and only uses him for a free meal. But she never objects or demands a specific place to eat, or even order anything expensive. She enters any small shop saying not a word. "How did I not notice this? I'm a hunter for Traveler's sake." He speaks mostly to himself as he places his elbows on the bar and holds his head.

"Hey Cayde, don't beat yourself up. She hides it well. Unless she tells you, you wouldn't know."

"How did she tell you? How did you find out?"

"She didn't tell me. I found out myself."

Removing his head from his hands and looks at her. "Wait, you found out yourself how?"

"Well, I found out when she was a newbie. I was out and about getting some supplies, and I run into her. Well, I found her. She was alone cowering in a small cover; her eyes fill in panic and scared. She looks like a scared little mouse. She gotten separated from Evie, and Nax didn't know how to get home from the train station." Amanda chuckles sadly. "Poor thing clung to me the whole way back."

The thought of Nax looking like a scared and terrified child, trying to make herself small while no one bothers to help, made his circuits, as he let out a groan and lowers his head onto the bar, his horn hitting the wood bar. "I'm such an asshole; I drag her to all those tight cramp places almost fill to the brim of people."

The human smirks behind her bottle as she pats him on his back for comfort. "It's not your fault; she didn't tell you. Truthfully, she's not proud of it." She tries to assure him he is not an asshole.

Nodding, he lifts his head, reaching for his beer. "Amanda, do you," He swallows hard. "Do you know what happens to be before Evie found her?"

"I do, but why do you want to know? Why is it a big deal?" She asks.

"Because something must have happened that created feral rumors. I'm also," Cayde pauses, trying to figure out what to say. "I'm worried about Nax. The first night I brought her that first night, I notice her apartment is bare. Her ghost told me she only sleeps in the living room, with a blanket pile instead of her perfectly good bed in her bedroom."

"Did you ask her?"

"When I ask her, she just says she did not like sleeping in her bedroom; it brings up bad memories. But her place, it is cold, Nax doesn't have anything personal in her place. It's just bare like if she's gone tomorrow, all you have to do is put all her things into a small box, and that's it."

Amanda can tell Cayde is worry about the awoken warlock, but there is only so much she can say to him. "Cayde, I would love to tell you, hell, it would make it a lot easier for the both of you. But I cannot break her trust as much as I already did. Nax has many skeletons in her closet, and that can take a while for her to clear them out. You just need to wait; I know that is not your strong suit. But when she does, that is going to be a huge step for her. Just do not rush her; if you do, she's going to close off, and that's it. No matter how many meals you guys have."

"I'm trying not to rush her, but things like her making up an excuse instead of telling what's bugging her, makes me wonder are we even getting close."

The blonde human tilts her head. "Why would you two be that close? Besides meals, what else do you guys do or talk about while having dinner? Have you told you anything about you besides the food you like? Have you asked what she likes to do for fun?"

"No, but why do I need to put in the effort instead of telling me to open up? Why don't you tell her to do it? I was the one that reaches out to her and offers to take her out to dinner. Far as I know besides putting up with the crowded shops, she doesn't put much effort into this either."

"Then stop, if it is a big hassle, then just tell her the dinners are over, that you have other stuff to do. There is no shame of walking away from this. I'm sure Nax wouldn't be too upset if you do that.

The exo finishes his beer and put the glass down with a thump. "Are you saying Nax doesn't care whether or not I just give her the cold shoulder or not?"

"No, no, you idiot," she sighs, facepalming. "Put yourself in her shoes; your comrades turn their back on you; the people you respect fear you, just because of those stupid rumors. The only few that reach out to be friends with you only want to use in some way for bragging rights to befriend or sleeping with the feral warlock. Not to mention some of them want to pick a fight with you, just to be known as the one that fought the feral and live. I'm sure you want to be more cautious with people that you barely interact with the approach you."

"Your right," Cayde grumbles as he remembers the night when Red was talking to his friend about how close he was with trying to sleep with Nax; of course, she will be close off to anyone being kind of her. Especially from him, he never talks or interacts with only a few days, approaches her, and took her out eating and drinking. The memory of drunk Nax, asking him if just wanted to take her home to sleep with her, make his grip the mug tight. Someone took advantage of her in that way. Did they just end it after that night, or did they prolong it?

A light clink breaks his train of thought, and as he looks down at his hand, he can see a small crack running up the glass mug he was holding. 'Nax's chopsticks were broken too.' He gets up and takes out enough glimmer to pay both of their tabs and the crack mug. "hey Amanda?"

"Hm?"

"Could you do me a favor."

"Depending what it is, I'm putting my foot down on agreeing on things before I know what it is," she tells him, taking a drink.

Cayde nods. "Fair enough, next time Nax asks you to give her something to do so that she can decline, can you tell her no?"

Amanda raises a brow in curious about what he is planning. "Sure? Do you have something plan?"

'Not yet, but I have a few ideas." He begins to head out. "Thanks, Amanda"

A smile plays on her lips. "I wish you the best."

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Dress in civil clothes the next day, Nax walks into the hanger looking for Amanda and finding her sitting at her workbench. "Hey, Amanda!" The blue warlock calls out to the human mechanic.

The blond-haired woman looks up from her work and gets up to greets the guardian. "Hey, Nax." She says, walking over to her. "I should hit you for what you did to Cayde last night. What the hell, Nax?"

"I know." Nax sighs as she slowly follows Amanda back to her workbench and sits down on one of the stools. "It's just the invite to the festival surprise me as he told me what would happen at the festival. I begin thinking of the crowds and how many people will be there. Before I realize it, I told him no. When he asks why I panic and made up an excuse." The awoken explains to Amanda. Nax lowers her head. "I'm sorry, I put you in a rough spot. I didn't realize he would call you."

The human crosses her arms. "You know you could avoid all this if you just tell him that crowds make you uneasy." The mechanic tells the young guardian. As she sits down at her workbench and works on a small machine. "well, I have some good news and bad news today. The bad news is I don't have anything for you to fix. But the good news is that I have gotten permission from Ikora to send you to Earth together some parts and supplies for me."

As soon as she heard going to Earth, Nax suddenly stands up so quickly she knocks over her stool. "Wait. What!" She asks, but Nax's voice couldn't hear as the clattering of the stool echo in the hanger. "Are you saying you were able to get Ikora to let me off of R&R early?" The warlock's eyes gleam with excitement.

"Woah, hold your horses, there's a catch."

Nax's face falls. "A catch?"

"Yup, a catch, she says if you go out now, Ikora will be extending your R&R for another week."

The guardian's stomach drops at the thought of her being in the Tower longer. "She'll be adding another week?" Nax asks, her voice in disbelief.

"That's right, another week." Amanda gets up from the workbench and walks over to a toolbox. "I mean, it's another week; it won't be that bad, right?"

A few hours of freedom pales compare to her full freedom that's only a week away. "Amanda, I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I know you must have gone out of your way to getting this person. But I am so close to me let out into the field again I don't think,"

The mechanic waves her hand to tell Nax not to worry about it. "Don't worry about it, but I don't have anything for you today, though. So, you'll need to this of a different excuse instead of using me to get out of stuff."

Nax watches her friend get what she needs and begins to come back and work on the small machine on the bench, "I'm sorry I shouldn't."

"Look, I know it's hard to trust people for you, I get that, but aren't you lonely here?"

"I am but, I don't want him to feel like he needs to miss out on these kinds of events because I'm a coward."

Amanda looks up and frowns. "You're not a coward. But did he say that you? Did he tell you that he feels like missing out on these things hanging out with you? The man wants to hang out with you outside of going to those food shops. Do you think if you tell him you're not going, he'll still want to go?"

The awoken looks confuse and a little surprise. "Cayde didn't go. Why didn't he go?"

Amanda lets out a loud groan as she covers her eyes. "Geeze, I swear you two are so dense when it comes to you two. Look if you feel bad about lying and ditching him, then find him and tell him why lied. He'll understand."

"But"

"Nax, I swear I will throw this wrench at you if you don't do it." Amanda threatens, holding up the wrench in her hand.

Nax quickly picks up the stool she knocks over and heads out of the hanger keeping an eye on her blonde friend, making sure she doesn't throw the wrench at her. 'Cayde wasn't joking when he said she would throw that at him.'

Amanda sighs and goes back to work. "I swear those two are driving me nuts."

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Nax stops as she enters the courtyard realizing Cayde will not be in the Hall of Heros on his day off. "Where would he go on his day off? Would he be home, or would he be out?" She begins to chew at the tip of her thumb as she tries to think where he could be. "Ah, Beeze?" She calls out for her ghost as she turns around and heads out of the courtyard.

The teal ghost appears beside her. "Yes, Nax?"

"Can you locate Ace?" She asks, giving him a side glance.

"Ace? Cayde's ghost?" He asks, twirling in surprise.

"Yes, Cayde's ghost. If you find them, will you be able to tell where they are?"

"Yes, I can do that, but why do you need to find them?" He asks.

"I want to know where Cayde is." She tells him as she heads over to the market district, hoping to run into there. Unaware that two figures are following behind her.

"Why do you want to know where he is?" He asks again; Beeze has a feeling he knows why, but he wants to tease her.

"Beeze, please, I just." She sighs. "I just need to find him." Nax pleads with him.

"Alright, hold on I'll see where they are." It only takes a few minutes for him to find them. "Found them, they're having lunch in the Spicey Ramen."

"Great, thanks Beeze." She says as she arrives at the entranceway of the market district. But only to pause seeing the street crowded. "Why is it so crowded? Is it always this crowded around this time?" Nax hands turn into a tight fist. She was trying to hide the shaking.

But Beeze notices this. "Nax? I could just send a message to Ace and asks them to meet us somewhere less crowded." He offers her.

"N. No." She takes a deep breath, trying to calm down the fast beating of her heart. "No, I shouldn't have him go out of his way for me. Besides, the shop isn't that far from here." Swallowing hard, she takes a deep, shaky breath. "I can do this." She tells herself this wishing her voice isn't so shaky. "There is no fallen here; they are just civilians and guardians." Nax makes her way through the crowd, still aware that the two figures continue to follow her.

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Cayde finishes his meal and places the glimmer on the bar. "See ya later, Thomas." He calls out to the human, giving a wave as he leaves. "Well, I guess I should head home and work on that Golden Age gun." He tells Ace as they exit the ship and into the crowded streets. He pushes the thought of how Nax would handle this large crowd.

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A few feet ahead, Nax sees Cayde appearing from the shop, and relief wash over her. She quickens her pace trying to catch up to him as he makes his way down the street. "Cayde!" She calls out, waving her hands, trying to get his attention. But before he turns around and sees her, two pairs of hands grab and pulls her into a nearby alley. He heads spin as it hits the stone brink wall as they slam her against it, pinning her down.

"Hello, feral." Purrs a male voice from a large man wearing a fallen mask.

Nax looks up, and her eyes go wide as she stares back. "Fallen." She whispers.