Work Text:
Get your shit together, man. Focus. He’s useless if he keeps overthinking like this… Seven repeats this inwardly like a mantra. Running his fingers through his scalp, he sighs and leans against the porch, groaning in frustration and annoyance.
Annoyed… at himself for not deciding to act sooner? At V for being so irresponsible and, at some level, naïve for thinking he could handle all of this by himself? At Rika for creating this entire situation? At Vanderwood, who keeps giving him that judgmental look and probably wonders if he’s really capable as an agent after letting things get so out of control and being outsmarted y that other hacker… Is Seven annoyed by that hacker?
Yes, but also intrigued… that hacker is really something… meticulous, precise, careful… and his methods… so old-school, yet with no loose ends, no breaches, not an ounce of recklessness or sloppiness. Last time he faced something that perfect… well, not to brag, but it was when he was learning how to hack by himself on that old book…
Could it be that the hacker read the same book as him? That would be a very ironic coincidence… the fact he’s being defeated with his own strengths could be considered amusing if there weren’t other people depending on his skills right now, one of them being so innocent it’s almost outrageous… and of course… there’s that other thing that makes Seven not to focus on finding the solution, that doubt buzzing his mind… that… that… gut yelling at him to take more consideration for this possibility, it’s not ironic that the hacker has similar methods as his, it’s… obvious it would be like that, since that hacker is… Saeran, his brother.
No, V already denied this… but V is confused, the drugs didn’t wear off completely… maybe he… lied to spare Seven from the shock, at least while you are in danger? No… V would never lie about something like this, not to him… and definitely not in front of you… would he? No, he wouldn’t… but what if…?
He’s taken aback by the steam smudging his glasses and the warmth being spread next to him. Seven looks down to find a cup of tea placed in front of him in the porch. Then he looks to the right, finding you smiling sweetly at him.
“Drink it while it’s hot.”
“What is that?” he eyes at you suspiciously, noticing you have a familiar leather cape draped over your shoulders. Did Vanderwood lend you his coat? What’s with him and this sudden kindness?
“I made some tea for V and Vanderwood, thought you would like it too, since it’s cold… it won’t make you sleepy or anything, since I know you have a lot to do, but it will relax you a little… you have to.”
“I can’t relax, MC…” Ugh… he’s already regretting for being rude at the only person who doesn’t annoy him at this moment. “I –I mean… thank you, but… I… shouldn’t relax, Vanderwood has a taser charged especially for me if I keep slacking off, she is so mean, you have no idea…”
“I think he’s worried… so… so am I, you know?”
“About V? He’ll be fine in the morning, I’m sure.”
“Yes, I know that. What about you, Seven? Will you be fine?”
He would be definitely gasping with the tea if he took a sip of it. You… you are worried about him? After all you’ve been through? You’re… you’re really weird…
“M-me? Of course! I’m… I’m here to defend justice! So… fear not! Just focus on taking care of V, he’ll appreciate for sure, okay?” ugh… now he wonders if this condescending tone bothers you… what a prick…
“Okay, if you say so… let me know if I can do anything for you, alright?” you smile and squeeze his shoulder before turning your back on him to get back to the cabin.
Then it hits him. V can’t talk much about it, but you can… you made direct contact with the hacker, so… even if you don’t know anything about Saeran, maybe you could still give Seven some clues and make this doubt disappear?
“MC, wait!” you turn to face him “How… how did the hacker look like?”
“Ray? Uhm… he is maybe a little shorter than you, skinny, pale skin, aqua eyes… white hair with pink tips… he is… pretty cute, if you ask me.” Wow, okay… that was completely useless…
“Does he…?” He wants to ask ‘does he remind you of someone else?’ Saeran could have dyed his hair and put contacts, but his features must still be similar to his twin brother, right? Nah, he can’t ask you that… it will only… make you more worried, you already have to take care of V, for God’s sake. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. I mean… not physically, but… it is hurtful that he kept lying even when I asked him over and over if you guys were really AIs, I… trusted him…”
“Ah yeah… you mentioned briefly something like this… he convinced you to keep chatting with us by telling you it was a game…”
“A… dating sim game, yes…” you avoid his gaze, clearly embarrassed. And though he shouldn’t, he finds surprisingly hard to hold his laughter. “It’s fine, you can laugh. I’m a complete idiot, I know that.”
“You’re not an idiot! You’re just… naïve. Dangerously naïve, but still… what you did is helping us uncover the truth, you should be… proud of yourself. If this really was a game, you would be on the right track for a good ending.”
You smile so sweetly it’s almost impossible to look away from you. Now he knows why Vanderwood isn’t treating you like he treats everybody. One smile like this and you can make anybody melt. People are being kind to you not only because you’re innocent, but also because… it’s very hard not to be nice with you…
“So… a dating sim, huh?”
“Yep…” you nod, and he laughs. It’s hard not to when you’re laughing at yourself. “Go on, mock me as much as you want, I deserve it.”
“Nah, I would never do such thing… unless that’s the answer you have to give me for our likeability to increase.” He chuckles, stopping when you widen your eyes and blush. Oops… did he say something wrong? “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just… forget it.”
“What?”
“No, it’s embarrassing!”
“Come on, tell me…” he whines, taking a sip of the tea. Oh, that’s actually pretty good…
“It’s just… when I still thought it was a game, I… uhm… I was really trying to make your likeability with me increase…”
Maybe it’s the tea, but Seven feels his face suddenly heating up.
“You… me? F-for real? M- me? B-bu… but… me? Wh… why… why me?” he chuckles, trying to disguise his embarrassment.
“’If there’s any character with red hair, go pursue him! I feel good about it…’ it’s just… something I remembered hearing once, don’t remember where or who said to me… but… oh well, what can I do? Usually the red haired ones have really great routes…”
“They do?” does he look as foolish as he sounds right now? Ugh… Vanderwood would definitely punch him if he saw him so dumbfounded… and he would definitely deserve the punch.
“Yeah, I mean… judging from my experience with games like that, the red haired is usually… the guy who seems super genki and fun, but deep down he’s all dark and has a tragic past holding him back…” hum… “and lots of them have tsundere tendencies.”
Well, he doesn’t know about the tsundere thing, but… he definitely is all dark behind the 707 façade… you… you can be naïve, but you’re not dumb, aren’t you? He should really shut up around you before you find things you shouldn’t.
“Well, you… you would end up disappointed if I really were a character in one of these games, MC.” He shrugs, avoiding your curious gaze.
Why does he feel so hot? This isn’t the moment for this… well, even if it was, even if… V weren’t laying on that bed and hallucinating, relying on you to take care of him, Seven could never think of you like this… it would be dangerous for you… maybe more dangerous than Rika’s cult and that hacker… Oh, the hacker! Talking with you made him forget his doubts for some minutes… you’re really distracting, huh? Another reason to stay the hell away from you…
But not before he asks you one more thing.
“MC… did this hacker… did he seem happy? I mean… do you think he’s happy?”
“No… not at all. I mean, he probably thinks he’s happy because of the cult and that elixir he wanted me to drink, but if you ask me… he’s not happy for real… much on the contraire.”
“I see…”
“Why do you ask?”
“No special reason… just… thought I could use something like this to convince him on quitting and, I don’t know, maybe find an alternative for him? He’s talented, it would be a waste of potential if he ends in jail.”
“Yeah… not to mention jail won’t solve his problems.” He nods. “It’s really noble that you think like that, Seven.”
“Noble?” he looks at the tea you gave him. “Well, you’re entitled to think like that, I’m just considering what’s more practical.” What a jerk! He can’t even look at you properly after that.
“Yes, I suppose…” you nod, apparently not even fazed by his harsh tone. “Anyway, I should go back to V. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.” he watches you intently as you get inside the cabin.
Seven sighs deeply. What is he doing? The messenger is getting attacked, V is under the effect of strong drugs, Rika is beyond any hope at this point, Vanderwood will definitely report this entire situation to their boss and you… you are so naïve, God! He should feel annoyed by you, and yet… he can’t, he’s… intrigued. Maybe… fascinated? Nope, nah-ah, NO WAY!
No, not fascinated. But definitely grateful, because you made him silence that doubt inside his mind. The hacker isn’t happy, so the hacker can’t be Saeran, because… wherever Saeran is, he is happy, like V promised he would. He wouldn’t break a promise like that and lie through his teeth in front of you.
Not in front of someone so weird, intriguing and… fascinating as you.