Chapter 15
COMING OUT
Seattle, October 2040
Almost two weeks passed before they were able to contact the shared apartment and Ben again. Seth regularly roamed Terminal City and now knew every corner of the abandoned sector. Many of the transgenics had settled here because only they were able to survive on the contaminated soil and stay healthy. They worked from here or had jobs outside. Many of the X series were now well integrated into the world of normal people, but everyone only felt comfortable among their own kind. Nobody needed to hide here. The more unusual creations, like Joshua and Mole, preferred to stay in Terminal City and only make necessary trips to the rest of the city. Many of them used the sewers as a road network and connection to the outside world without having to spend too long on the roads. Seth had many conversations and was told the history of the city, the transgenos in general and many individual stories. Many were also interested in getting to know him because everyone knew Max and after all he was their son. Some people also talked about Logan. Seth had also let Luke in on his plan to resurrect "Eyes only" and they kept tinkering with the technology and Luke ordered equipment from his suppliers in order to be able to better equip the shared apartment and make the connection secure. Dix had many friends in town and so they were able to send Oliver regular deliveries and instructions on how to put everything together. Ben was overwhelmed by the ceiling in the shared apartment, so he threw himself even harder into work and helped Oliver wherever he could. Seth found this development more than good because Ben kept himself busy and at the same time he learned to deal even better with all the things that should help them get in touch again. Seth missed his brother, they had never been apart for so long, that drove him to want to at least establish contact online safely and without the Familiars being able to intercept a signal.
He was just trying to connect two cables with his head half hanging on his stool under the table when someone tapped him on the back.
"Just a minute, I'll get it."
"Don't hurry or you'll end up smashing your pretty head on the table."
Seth did exactly that. From shock, surprise or happiness he didn't know yet, but when he heard the voice he hit his head hard under the plate. He emerged, somewhat embarrassed, and rubbed his head.
Grey! He just stood there and grinned. Seth stood up from his seat and gathered all his courage at that moment to take a step towards Gray and hug him. He was happy to see him and literally hugged him. The warmth of Gray's power and this incredible inner calm flowed through him and when he released his embrace their faces were close together. An incredible tension arose and Seth let Gray kiss him, it was as if a thousand butterflies were flying through his body, he returned the kiss passionately and the world stood still around them. Seth had never felt this feeling before. They looked into each other's eyes after the kiss and just stood there until Gray first found his voice:
"I actually wanted to ask how are you before, but it looks like we can skip that part."
He grinned and Seth grinned back a little embarrassed, rubbed his head again and blushed a little.
"Not quite sure yet, are you?" Grey asked.
"At least as sure as I can be after a few weeks. I think I've fallen in love but it's all still new to me and we have to take it very slowly."
Gray nodded in agreement but couldn't resist a small quip:
"As slow as the greeting or slower?"
Seth blushed again and evaded: "Let's sit down first and you tell me what's going on in the shared apartment."
Gray got started as they climbed down from the platform on which the computer unit stood. He had a lot to report, including that the connection could now be established safely and Oliver had properly upgraded it. They sat down on a sofa that was behind a pillar in the hall and Gray talked about Ben, Nika and the others. He also said that he had spoken to Yara and she had told him about the day when Boas showed him the video and what exactly was behind it. She had told him what she had discussed with Seth and also that the kiss in front of the door had been a kind of goodbye.
Nika also said later that she hoped Seth would soon realize what he was feeling, because she had recognized it right from the start but tried to let things take their course. "She's good at that and Ben is just the right complement to her," Gray remarked with a slightly ironic undertone.
"What do you mean?" Seth knew that Ben had absolutely no patience and wondered if he had missed something.
"Nika needs someone who can keep up with her speed, not push her but can keep up, physically and mentally and Ben can do exactly that. Nobody has done that before. Until now".
"How is Ben anyway?"
"Don't worry too much about your little brother, he's strong but it's hard for him to stay in the apartment and not be able to do anything. He is becoming more restless day by day. What else does he actually do when he's loaded like that?"
Seth told Gray about Ben, what he was like, how he had learned to channel his energy into movement and how much he needed to completely exercise himself sometimes. Seth knew it wasn't good for his brother to be under such tension. Then he became argumentative but Seth hoped to talk to him soon. He remembered that Gray had already said the connection was stable and secure now. He stood up and jumped up onto the platform.
"Let's call the gang, you said it was safe."
Dix and Luke arrived as quickly as they could and started the new communications unit. In a few seconds Oliver appeared on the screen. He was visibly happy about the success, which he had supported significantly with not just a few hours of work. At first he talked to Dix and Luke but Seth urged him to get Ben and Nika on the monitor. Oliver just leaned back a little and shouted across the apartment that Seth and Gray were online. The small room quickly filled up and everyone rushed to the two of them with questions. It had been a long time since they had last seen Seth and everyone was happy to see him safe and sound again on the monitor. Seth realized how fond he was of the gang after such a short time and wondered how it could all have happened so quickly. The group got moving when Ben called out from behind that he would like to see his brother again. Ben seemed to have already made a huge impression on some people because they immediately gave him a place at the front of the desk. Nika came directly behind him and she was also let through to the front row next to Ben.
"Get out, give us a little space for a moment."
Ben had a pretty bossy tone and Seth immediately noticed that his brother was already under a lot of tension. When he looked closer he also noticed that Ben had a violet. It was almost healed but he never missed when his brother wanted to hide something.
"Who gave you that beautiful make-up?"
"Not bad, Aiden and I had a brief disagreement but it worked out."
Nika chimed in with a grin.
"It seems like a lot of things have still been clarified."
She didn't look directly at Seth and Gray, she looked directly at the hands of the two that hadn't separated from each other, excited and happy to finally be able to communicate in the shared apartment. So the two now sat hand in hand in front of the two of them. Ben rubbed his eye:
"Well then it probably wouldn't have been necessary to clarify things. "I really didn't check it and when I caught Aiden sneaking around Yara I had a little lapse."
"At least as sure as I can be after a few weeks. I think I've fallen in love but it's all still new to me and we have to take it very slowly."
Gray nodded in agreement but couldn't resist a small quip:
"As slow as the greeting or slower?"
Seth blushed again and evaded: "Let's sit down first and you tell me what's going on in the shared apartment."
Gray got started as they climbed down from the platform on which the computer unit stood. He had a lot to report, including that the connection could now be established safely and Oliver had properly upgraded it. They sat down on a sofa that was behind a pillar in the hall and Gray talked about Ben, Nika and the others. He also said that he had spoken to Yara and she had told him about the day when Boas showed him the video and what exactly was behind it. She had told him what she had discussed with Seth and also that the kiss in front of the door had been a kind of goodbye.
Nika also said later that she hoped Seth would soon realize what he was feeling, because she had recognized it right from the start but tried to let things take their course. "She's good at that and Ben is just the right complement to her," Gray remarked with a slightly ironic undertone.
"What do you mean?" Seth knew that Ben had absolutely no patience and wondered if he had missed something.
"Nika needs someone who can keep up with her speed, not push her but can keep up, physically and mentally and Ben can do exactly that. Nobody has done that before. Until now".
"How is Ben anyway?"
"Don't worry too much about your little brother, he's strong but it's hard for him to stay in the apartment and not be able to do anything. He is becoming more restless day by day. What else does he actually do when he's loaded like that?"
Seth told Gray about Ben, what he was like, how he had learned to channel his energy into movement and how much he needed to completely exercise himself sometimes. Seth knew it wasn't good for his brother to be under such tension. Then he became argumentative but Seth hoped to talk to him soon. He remembered that Gray had already said the connection was stable and secure now. He stood up and jumped up onto the platform.
"Let's call the gang, you said it was safe."
Dix and Luke arrived as quickly as they could and started the new communications unit. In a few seconds Oliver appeared on the screen. He was visibly happy about the success, which he had supported significantly with not just a few hours of work. At first he talked to Dix and Luke but Seth urged him to get Ben and Nika on the monitor. Oliver just leaned back a little and shouted across the apartment that Seth and Gray were online. The small room quickly filled up and everyone rushed to the two of them with questions. It had been a long time since they had last seen Seth and everyone was happy to see him safe and sound again on the monitor. Seth realized how fond he was of the gang after such a short time and wondered how it could all have happened so quickly. The group got moving when Ben called out from behind that he would like to see his brother again. Ben seemed to have already made a huge impression on some people because they immediately gave him a place at the front of the desk. Nika came directly behind him and she was also let through to the front row next to Ben.
"Get out, give us a little space for a moment."
Ben had a pretty bossy tone and Seth immediately noticed that his brother was already under a lot of tension. When he looked closer he also noticed that Ben had a violet. It was almost healed but he never missed when his brother wanted to hide something.
"Who gave you that beautiful make-up?"
"Not bad, Aiden and I had a brief disagreement but it worked out."
Nika chimed in with a grin.
"It seems like a lot of things have still been clarified."
She didn't look directly at Seth and Gray, she looked directly at the hands of the two that hadn't separated from each other, excited and happy to finally be able to communicate in the shared apartment. So the two now sat hand in hand in front of the two of them. Ben rubbed his eye:
"Well then it probably wouldn't have been necessary to clarify things. "I really didn't check it and when I caught Aiden sneaking around Yara I had a little lapse."