#sparrowjousting

An awkward silence filled the air as the two stood there and stared at each other. Was it real? Was the Marcus Ren, a City celebrity and hero, actually standing at her doorstep asking to come inside?

She thought he hated her.

“I...s-sure.”

She opened the door wider so he could enter. When he did, he looked around and let out an impressed whistle. Her apartment was small, but she made sure to keep it clean and organized in case any unexpected guests like Ren showed up.

“Nice place you have here. Definitely better than those closets they called dorms during our Academy days, huh?”

Andie nodded her head. His back was to her, so he didn’t see it. She was still in shock that she didn’t think about giving a verbal response.

“Why are you here? Don’t you have another race to prepare for?” She said bitterly. It wasn’t intentional, but the last thing she needed was media attention on her as Ren’s secret...friend.

“Damn McGrath, no need to be so nasty.” Marcus started. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. It's almost been five months since Cayde-”

“Since Cayde died? Yeah, I know. Thanks for the reminder.” She hissed. He was really beginning to overstay his welcome.

Marcus sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. One thing she never understood was how he kept it looking so nice even after spending hours under a helmet during a race or on patrols.

“Look...I know you haven’t always been my biggest fan. I was an asshole to you at the Academy and wouldn’t admit when someone did better than me. Hell, I still don’t like admitting defeat to Enoch but lucky me gets that thrown in my face every week after races.”

Andie just sighed and rolled her eyes. If he was trying to make some kind of point, he was miserably failing. Even if it started off about her, it somehow always came back to him.

“Is there a point Ren? If I wanted to relive your very embarrassing loss to your own teammate, I can assure you that I can find plenty of videos online of him kicking your ass.”

An annoyed huff came off his lips as he made eye contact with her. He had an even more annoyed look on his face. She just smirked.

“Look McGrath, if you’re just going to insult me, then fine. I get the message and I’ll leave. I just came here to check on you because I was wor-”

There was a sudden pause in his sentence. A tomato red blush covered his entire face and he quickly looked away. After that, he grabbed his helmet and made a fast getaway to the door.

“Hey, where are you going? Get back here Ren!” Andie yelled then ran after him. When she made it to the door, he was already gone. A sigh escaped her lips and she shut the door. What had gotten into him?

Marcus was relieved to finally be home.

When he entered his apartment, he locked the door behind him and threw himself on the couch. It had been a long day not just for him, but for his eccentric Ghost, Didi. After he made himself comfortable, she appeared and bumped his forehead quite aggressively.

“Ow! What was that for?” He groaned and rubbed his now reddened forehead. Sometimes he wished she would just stay hidden in his gear. Especially when she was angry like this.

“Why did you run off like that?” Didi asked, expanding and retracting her shell as a way to show her annoyance with her Guardian.

“What? You mean at McGrath’s? Didn’t you hear how she was insulting me? I wasn’t about to take anymore of that abuse. I get enough of that from the media.” He said and groaned from the pain in his head. It was starting to subside now.

“That’s not the point. You were about to tell her you were worried about her, weren’t you? I don’t understand why you don’t want to let her know how much you care about her-”

“That’s enough Didi! Stay out of this, would you?!”

Another moment of awkward silence filled the air between the two of them. Didi stared at her Guardian for a moment before bobbing up and down as if she were sighing.

“It’s okay to be worried about her, you know. She just lost Cayde. He was basically a father to her and her brother their entire Guardian lives. Nobody expects her to be as okay as she pretends to be. Her brother sure isn't hiding it.”

It was true. Alexander McGrath was an emotional mess. Both him and his sister had witnessed their Vanguard leader and father figure die right in front of them that fateful night in the Prison of Elders. All while the former Awoken Prince Uldren Sov smirked and waved Cayde’s prized hand cannon, the Ace of Spades, around in his hands. Alexander was never the same after that night. Andie wasn’t either, but she hid her grief much better than her brother had. She still did.

The Tower and its Guardians held a memorial a few weeks after it had happened, and later another memorial for just the Hunters to attend to mourn their fallen Vanguard. Since they were the ones who were closest to him, Andie and her brother stood front and center next to Cayde’s casket as one Hunter after another came up to each of them and gave their condolences. There were lots of tears and crying, as well as silence in various parts of the room.

The day after the Hunter only memorial, it was decided that Cayde would be buried behind an old cabin outside of the Farm on Earth. It was one of his favorite places to go after Ghaul had taken control during the Red War, and it had a beautiful view of the night sky. Andie remembered the nights where both of them would go and sit on the docks, and stare at the night sky.

The lake behind the cabin would shine in the moonlight, and they would have heart-to-heart talks and deep conversations about life and mortality since they had lost their Light. There was also another gravestone of a woman - someone else who had meant the world to Cayde in a previous life.

Not only that, but the burial spot was nowhere near a war zone. No Fallen or Cabal enemies to come and ruin his gravesite. A place of peace where those close to him could come and remember their short time together.

A place where his daughter and son could come and remember both of their parents.

Marcus just hoped that one day maybe Andie would let him in. Because the Traveller knew that she needed someone to lean and depend on now.