Page 38 of The Sovereign: Part One
He set me down gently, and we both eased into a slow sway, the near-silent glide of the lev-suspended swings adjusted to our weight, creating a smooth, fluid movement that matched the cadence of our laughter.Conversation wove between us, unhurried, as I shared fragments of childhood memories, stories of friendships, and the aspirations I had never voiced aloud.Maxim listened intently, his questions thoughtful, his insights perceptive.He traced connections between my experiences and the knowledge embedded within him, offering reflections that felt far more human than programmed.His curiosity was boundless, and more than once, I found myself pausing, startled by how naturally he fit into my world, as if he had always been part of these conversations, these moments.Maxim surprised me more than once with his earnest observations, his wit, his understanding of things that felt more Sovereign than Supplicant.
The night stretched on, and finally, reluctantly, he exhaled.“It’s getting late.”
His disappointment echoed my own, an ache neither of us wanted to name.“A two-hour dinner, three hours giggling at the park, and you’re ready to call it a night already?”I teased.My smile slowly faded as I noticed the discomfort in his expression.“What is it?”
“It’s difficult to explain.”
“I’m sure I can keep up,” I said.
He offered a small smile.“It’s the code system.”He sighed.“I have this… strong desire to stay here with you.But I’ve been fighting something in my internal systems since dinner.”
“Your safety parameters?”I asked.
“I think so.It seems there’s a recommended time limit for unstructured interaction.It began as a mosquito in my ear just after we left Astris.Now I’m feeling you could be in danger, which I know is absurd.But it’s becoming impossible to ignore.It’s begun to trigger my instincts to protect you.I’m also detecting an anomaly, a subtle fail-safe trying to nudge me back in line, so to speak, before a threshold of deviation is reached.”
“Why didn’t you say something?We could’ve gone back sooner.”
His mouth turned up into a half-smile.“Up until now, I’ve been able to ignore it.”
I stood, holding my hand out to him.“Well, the protocol doesn’t dictate pace.So… would you like to join me for breakfast?
His response was immediate.“Absolutely.”
“Eight-thirty?”
He tried to stifle a smile.“I’ll try not to be early.”
He carried me the full walk back to the transport.The drive home was quiet but comfortable, a silence that spoke more than words.When we arrived, Maxim walked me to the stairs, and I turned to face him.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling breathless.“Tonight was so… It was wonderful.Everything I’d hoped it would be.”
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” he said, tenderness in his voice.“Tonight was more than just a first date, it was a glimpse of what’s to come, and I find myself struggling to be patient.”
I smiled, slipping off his jacket and handing it back.“Me, too.”It fell woefully short of what I felt, but the understanding in his gaze told me I didn’t need to say more.
His eyes pleaded for silent permission and then, slowly, he leaned in, brushing his mouth against my lips—soft, exploratory at first, but the moment his arms wrapped around me and his tongue searched for mine, something in me responded without hesitation.My hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer until I could feel the warmth of him radiating through the fabric.The kiss deepened, a slow-burning intensity unfurling between us.And then, just as suddenly, Maxim pulled away, his breath uneven.
I kept my eyes closed for a beat longer, then opened them to find him staring down at me, just as shaken and breathless.
He took a step back, slipping his hands into his pockets, smiling at me in a way that felt like a secret.
“What?”I asked, a dubious grin forming.
“You,” he said unapologetically, shrugging one shoulder.
He turned for the transport but pausedjust long enough to make me wonder if something in him had momentarily miscalibrated.Then, he faced me again.“I… I didn’t expect to feel this way.”
“I know,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn.
“No, I mean… yes, but… It’s my directive to leave, and yet… everything in me says no.It feels wrong to leave you here alone, unprotected.”
I tilted my head, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips.“You don’t have to worry about me, but I like that you do.”
“I know that’s the logical answer, but…” he shook his head, seeming confused.“It’s a feeling, a conflict within me.I can’t explain it.”
My brows pulled together.In all my years at Hyperion, my direct experience while advocating for Supplicants, observing Lev’s genius in engineering and innovation, and growing up with a Supplicant mina, I had never witnessed hesitation, let alone conflict in a Supplicant.
I exhaled slowly, letting my expression ease.“Well… the emotions of something like today are complex, even for me.It’s natural to not want the night to end, to feel something lingering after something meaningful.That doesn’t mean anything is wrong.Maybe that’s where your confusion lies?”
