Title: caught under the mistletoe [Chapter 1] Author: Blossomdriver Characters/Pairings: CROW-2(oc)/Lodi Warnings: smidgen of angst Fandom: Destiny Summary: CROW-2 wants to do something nice for Lodi for The Dawning.
[AO3]
CROW-2’s nonexisting heart climbs higher and higher upwards into his throat with each step through the Towers' archives. His hands shake as they clutch onto the blue and silver package, careful not to damage the contents inside.
The Warlock forces his shoulders to relax when he sees a familiar mop of black hair - the owner’s head bent over, scrolling through a datapad.
“You aren’t an easy person to track down, you know,” CROW-2 announces as he crosses the room before stopping in front of the table. And Lodi lifts his head, and CROW tries not to stare at the black and blue eyes that look up at him.
“Sorry, I’ve been a little occupied,” Lodi replies sheepishly and sets the datapad aside.
“It’s fine,” the Warlock waves off the concern before nervously thrusting the blue box he had been carrying toward Lodi’s. “Happy Dawning,”
The emissary’s eyes widen as they dart between the box and CROW-2’s face.
“Ms. Rey informed me about the celebrations.” It’s close enough for him to long for Christmas with his family. The sound of his nieces and nephews rushing down the stairs ⸺ trying to be the first one to open their gifts. While all the adults sat crowded around the table and laughed as they watched.
The the smell of coffee brewing and the tearing of wrapping paper fades into the background as he takes the gift from the Warlock.
“I didn’t know what you would like, so I modified the recipe that was for Dean Rebecca.” CROW-2 shifts the weight to his other foot.
Lodi reaches into the box to pull out a cookie, inspects it briefly, and then takes a bite out of it.
“These are wonderful, thank you again, CROW.”
“It’s the least I could do.” The Exo’s jaw slants to the side to give the emissary a smile. “I can only imagine how rough it’s been for you.”
“But I don’t have anything to give you?”
“You shouldn’t worry yourself with it; you have more than enough on your plate.”
The pair lapses into comfortable silence for a moment. Only for it to be broken as Ice pops in over the pair.
The blue flecks of the Ghost’s shell caught the light, and hanging above the triangular shell was the mistletoe projection.
CROW felt the plunge of cold throughout his system as he stared up in horror. “Ice!” CROW-2 grits out through a clenched jaw. “What are you doing!”
“Me?” Ice feigns innocence as the nodes of his shell spun. “I’m not doing anything. Eva gave me this projection, so I thought it would be nice to show it off.” Ice tilts down towards Lodi.
“What do you think?”
Lodi brings his hand to his mouth to stifle the chuckle, as well to hide the growing blush on his cheeks. “It’s uh, good to know certain traditions survived all these years.”
The Warlock reaches out and snatches the Ghost mid-air, tugging him to his chest in a swift motion. “Happy Dawning again,” and in a twinkle of blue light, the Guardian and Ghost transmit out of the archives.
It now leaves Lodi with a box of cookies and a question on his mind.
+++
“What were you thinking!” CROW yells once they are in the privacy of his ship. The warlock paces around in tight circles while fiddling with the sleeves of his robes. The Ghost watches him with each turn and lets out a long, dramatic sigh.
“I was helping because I know you wouldn’t do it yourself.”
“What made you think I wanted any help!” CROW-2 stops his pacing to glare at his Ghost. “You ruined everything!”
Ice zips straight right into CROW’s face. His single blue optic is burning with such an intensity that the Exo hasn’t seen in a long time.
“Then answer me one question: do you like him?”
CROW-2 falls silent for a long moment after. His eyes drifted anywhere else but the Ghost in front of him. Finding a corner of the room to be much more pleasant to look at.
The Exo debates with himself whether he should respond to the Ghost’s question.
He doesn’t want this to be a repeat of what happened when it was Meno who had been the one to hold CROW-2’s affection.
“And what if I do?” His tone sounded all but defeated.
“CROW,” Ice says his name softly as he floats back, giving CROW distance. “You know.”
“I know.” The Warlock is quick to cut him off. Because sometimes he can’t help the overwhelming guilt that eats away at him. Even if he and Meno parted on mutual terms. CROW still yearns for that familiar warmth.
He doesn’t want Lodi to become a replacement.
And even if their time together on Kepler had been brief in the grand scheme of things. CROW-2 can’t help but hope for something more. That maybe, maybe it was time he could get the chance to not screw things up.
Ice floats back to the Warlock, finding a place to rest in the feathers of CROW’s new robes. “Let’s give it a day, and then tomorrow, we'll apologize.”
CROW shoots up at that. “What do I have to apologize for, you’re the one who hung the mistletoe above us!”
“Like I said, helping."











