01-02-2025, 12:04 AM
Seven’s palm lingered in Gideon’s, but not for the reasons one might assume. It wasn’t flirtation or tension that kept the contact lingering—it was something more elusive, more difficult to name. His gaze held steady, locking onto Gideon’s amber eyes as though trying to read the secrets etched in their depths. He murmured softly, his voice carrying just enough weight to be intimate but not overbearing. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, but… I feel—” He faltered, the words slipping away before he could catch them, replaced by the sharp tang of uncertainty. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he felt.
Hayden’s laugh broke the moment, scattering the faint spell that had settled over Seven’s thoughts. He straightened and glanced around the room, his sharp eyes scanning the faces for threads of connection—little clues as to who followed too closely on whose heels. This was a crowd of intersecting orbits, and he could feel the invisible tension between them like the taut strings of a harp, vibrating faintly with unspoken histories and tangled loyalties.
His gaze caught on Nox just as the host slipped quietly from the room. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Nox. Maybe it was the pressure of so many people, their voices and energies pressing in like the weight of a storm cloud. Seven knew what it was like to carry something precious, fragile, and secret, and he understood the need to retreat before it shattered. He made a mental note to seek Nox out later—there was a story there, and Seven had always been drawn to the stories people kept locked away on the hope those bars may be broken and the imprisoned soul freed.
Hayden’s arm draped over his shoulders, warm and steady, and though Seven didn’t pull away, he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at the boldness of the gesture. Hayden’s tale followed, as unexpected as the embrace, and Seven’s attention sharpened as the details unraveled. He had a penchant for good stories—he could spin one into a song if the mood struck—but this wasn’t just any story. This one was layered, cryptic, and alive with implications that sent his mind whirring.
He listened intently, filing away every detail: the big mouth that brought Gideon here, the baby hacker’s cousin, and the mysterious mark on the invitation. Then there was the leather-clad woman, and the revelation that Hayden had been two doors down when Nox called. That detail in particular caught Seven’s attention. His lips quirked in a faint smile, but behind the amusement was a growing curiosity. Exactly what kind of business was Hayden involved in?
Seven leaned into the tale, his mind racing through possibilities. A hired killer? A con artist? Something more shadowy, more complicated? Hayden had the ease of someone who thrived in chaos, and the confidence of a man who could slide through cracks in the world most people didn’t even know existed. It made Seven’s chest tighten with a mix of admiration and caution. Hayden had the kind of charisma that could lead a man into the fire with a grin on his face, and that was always dangerous.
When Hayden gestured toward the computer kid, Seven’s attention shifted again. He’d been watching the boy out of the corner of his eye, noting the sharp intelligence that radiated from him even in silence.
Hayden’s comment—Nox talks a lot about him—left Seven wondering what role this kid played in Nox’s orbit. Everyone here seemed to hold a thread of connection to the host, weaving a web of intrigue that Seven couldn’t resist tugging at.
At last, Hayden’s story looped back to him. “Which led me to you,” Hayden said with a grin, “and, well, that’s all that matters.” Seven smiled faintly in response, though his mind was still caught on the implications of what Hayden had said. Nox seemed to draw people to him like a collapsing star, and Seven could feel the gravity pulling at him too.
He finally exhaled, lifting his coffee cup as though to toast the chaotic, colorful cast of characters he now found himself surrounded by. “Quite the tale,” he said, his voice low and smooth, with just a hint of amusement. “And here I thought I was the only one who stumbled into strange orbits.” He glanced at Hayden, eyes glinting with mischief.
Hayden’s laugh broke the moment, scattering the faint spell that had settled over Seven’s thoughts. He straightened and glanced around the room, his sharp eyes scanning the faces for threads of connection—little clues as to who followed too closely on whose heels. This was a crowd of intersecting orbits, and he could feel the invisible tension between them like the taut strings of a harp, vibrating faintly with unspoken histories and tangled loyalties.
His gaze caught on Nox just as the host slipped quietly from the room. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Nox. Maybe it was the pressure of so many people, their voices and energies pressing in like the weight of a storm cloud. Seven knew what it was like to carry something precious, fragile, and secret, and he understood the need to retreat before it shattered. He made a mental note to seek Nox out later—there was a story there, and Seven had always been drawn to the stories people kept locked away on the hope those bars may be broken and the imprisoned soul freed.
Hayden’s arm draped over his shoulders, warm and steady, and though Seven didn’t pull away, he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at the boldness of the gesture. Hayden’s tale followed, as unexpected as the embrace, and Seven’s attention sharpened as the details unraveled. He had a penchant for good stories—he could spin one into a song if the mood struck—but this wasn’t just any story. This one was layered, cryptic, and alive with implications that sent his mind whirring.
He listened intently, filing away every detail: the big mouth that brought Gideon here, the baby hacker’s cousin, and the mysterious mark on the invitation. Then there was the leather-clad woman, and the revelation that Hayden had been two doors down when Nox called. That detail in particular caught Seven’s attention. His lips quirked in a faint smile, but behind the amusement was a growing curiosity. Exactly what kind of business was Hayden involved in?
Seven leaned into the tale, his mind racing through possibilities. A hired killer? A con artist? Something more shadowy, more complicated? Hayden had the ease of someone who thrived in chaos, and the confidence of a man who could slide through cracks in the world most people didn’t even know existed. It made Seven’s chest tighten with a mix of admiration and caution. Hayden had the kind of charisma that could lead a man into the fire with a grin on his face, and that was always dangerous.
When Hayden gestured toward the computer kid, Seven’s attention shifted again. He’d been watching the boy out of the corner of his eye, noting the sharp intelligence that radiated from him even in silence.
Hayden’s comment—Nox talks a lot about him—left Seven wondering what role this kid played in Nox’s orbit. Everyone here seemed to hold a thread of connection to the host, weaving a web of intrigue that Seven couldn’t resist tugging at.
At last, Hayden’s story looped back to him. “Which led me to you,” Hayden said with a grin, “and, well, that’s all that matters.” Seven smiled faintly in response, though his mind was still caught on the implications of what Hayden had said. Nox seemed to draw people to him like a collapsing star, and Seven could feel the gravity pulling at him too.
He finally exhaled, lifting his coffee cup as though to toast the chaotic, colorful cast of characters he now found himself surrounded by. “Quite the tale,” he said, his voice low and smooth, with just a hint of amusement. “And here I thought I was the only one who stumbled into strange orbits.” He glanced at Hayden, eyes glinting with mischief.