CHAPTER 569: THOROUGH TESTING

Luca found himself pressed against Xavier as if suddenly weakened by the sensation.

He figured the suit was a bit more sensitive than the last one, but never did he imagine it to be like this!

"!!!"

Xavier’s hand continued to linger at Luca’s waist, his thumb brushing deliberately over the sleek, form-fitting material beneath his clothes.

The subtle shift in texture caught his attention instantly.

"...So what’s this?" His voice was calm, but there was a glint in his eyes that made Luca’s stomach flip.

"It’s—ah—it’s nothing important," Luca stammered, his shoulders twitching as if he could somehow pull away without actually moving.

But Xavier’s arm at his back kept him neatly in place, their bodies still pressed close from before.

"Nothing important?" Xavier repeated, tone dripping with disbelief. His fingers traced along the curve of Luca’s hip, finding the faint seam that ran under his tunic. "Hmm. Feels important."

The little inventor swallowed hard. "It’s—it’s just a side project."

Xavier didn’t look convinced. "A side project that makes you shiver like that?" His thumb pressed again, slow and deliberate.

"Hhh—!" Luca’s breath caught, his knees drawing in reflexively around Xavier’s hips.

That earned him a quiet chuckle. "Now you’ve got my attention. Tell me."

Cornered, Luca fumbled for an explanation, words tumbling out in a rush.

"I was trying to design something for pilots. A suit that redirects spiritual energy more efficiently. You know how a lot of them release through their whole body instead of just key points? This could help channel it directly into the mecha’s systems instead of wasting it."

Xavier listened, head tilted slightly, but his hand never stopped moving.

The soft glide of his palm over the suit’s smooth surface made it hard for Luca to keep a steady rhythm in his explanation.

"It’s... still experimental," Luca added quickly, as though that excused the way he was tensing under every touch. "And it’s... um... more sensitive than I meant it to be."

"Sensitive," the wolfish husband repeated, and there was no mistaking the interest in his voice now. His fingers followed the seam upward, then back down in a slow, deliberate path. "Where, exactly?"

Luca’s breath hitched again, and his voice wobbled. "Xavier—"

"This spot?" The prince pressed a little more firmly against the side of his waist.

Luca’s head tipped forward against his shoulder, teeth catching his lower lip. "Hh—yes..."

"I see..." Xavier’s tone deepened, thoughtful in a way that made Luca shiver.

Before the little guide could gather himself, Xavier eased him back against the wall again, stepping into his space until there was nowhere else to go. "Move for me."

"W-what?"

"Just a little test. Walk."

"I can’t—it’s too—"

"Try."

Reluctantly, Luca stepped forward as Xavier side-stepped for him. The suit’s slight stiffness made every movement a little restricted.

But then Xavier followed, his large hands ghosting over his hips to adjust his stance, guiding his shoulders when he slouched. The coolness of those hands seeped through the material, and each adjustment sent another tremor racing up Luca’s spine.

"Mm. Still too stiff," Xavier murmured, leaning in as if to study the fit—though his voice carried something far from professional detachment. His breath brushed Luca’s ear. "We could maybe try to adjust this, though; you might have to keep your voice down."

Luca’s pulse jumped. "O-okay..."

The low rumble of that suggestion sent a fine shiver down his arms, and Xavier felt it. His lips curved slightly against Luca’s temple. "Good boy."

The praise made Luca flush to the tips of his ears, but he obeyed. Every sound that tried to escape after that was bitten back into a muffled hum.

Still, the more Xavier’s hands explored the contours of the suit—palming the curve of his thigh, smoothing up over his ribs, pressing into the small of his back—the harder it became to keep still. His breathing quickened, his body leaning instinctively into the touches he swore he was trying to avoid.

At one point, Luca shifted just enough to press himself more firmly against Xavier’s frame. It wasn’t calculated—at least not consciously—but the soft sound he made when their bodies aligned like that was enough to make Xavier’s restraint falter.

"Testing the suit?" Xavier asked, his tone all silk and shadows.

"...M-maybe," Luca admitted, still trying to keep his voice low.

"Then I should help you run it through... more thorough trials," Xavier murmured, his hand sliding once more over the most sensitive seam. The contact pulled a sharp breath from Luca before he remembered to stifle it.

"Yes...?" The single word was quiet, but so full of wanting that Xavier’s smile turned slow and wicked.

"Mm. But for now... keep wearing this one," he said, his thumb brushing one last time over that seam. "I think I like this model."

Luca could only nod, his face hot, heart pounding, already dreading—and anticipating—what the next "inspection" would entail.

Xavier didn’t move away.

Instead, his hands settled with deliberate steadiness on Luca’s hips, thumbs stroking in slow arcs that felt far too intentional to be casual.

"You said it’s supposed to improve energy transfer," he murmured, his voice low enough that it seemed to vibrate through the space between them. "So... show me."

Luca blinked up at him, unsure if he was being serious or not. "Right now...?"

"Why not?" Xavier’s mouth curved faintly, though his gaze never wavered. "We need to see how it responds to active release."

It was a perfectly reasonable request, at least in theory. But the way he said it—close enough that his breath warmed Luca’s forehead—made it sound like anything but a regular test.

Still, Luca nodded and tried to focus.

He pulled a thread of spiritual energy forward, guiding it down into his limbs the way he would in a cockpit. The suit responded instantly, humming faintly against his skin as the energy flowed through its channels.

Xavier’s eyes tracked the faint shift of light along the suit’s seams where it was most responsive. "Good. Now... more."

Luca obliged, releasing a larger pulse. The hum deepened. His shoulders tensed as he felt the suit’s delicate weave direct the output in perfect lines along his frame.

But then Xavier’s hands slid lower, palms cool through the thin fabric, fingers resting just shy of the most sensitive point. Luca’s breath caught.

"Careful," he warned without meaning to, voice already wavering.

"Careful?" Xavier echoed, leaning closer until his lips nearly brushed the shell of Luca’s ear. "Or precise?"

The shiver that raced through Luca’s body answered for him.

Xavier’s grip tightened slightly, holding him still. "You said it makes movement stiff... but that is not what I am seeing."

"That’s because you’re holding me in place," Luca pointed out, cheeks warm.

"Mm. And if I let you move?"

Luca hesitated. "...It might... feel different."

The amusement in Xavier’s eyes was unmistakable. He eased back just enough to give Luca space, but his hands didn’t leave him. "Then move."

Luca took a slow step, then another, feeling the way the suit shifted and flexed with each motion. The seams along his thighs lit faintly as his energy redirected.

But when he turned, Xavier’s hand grazed the seam again—lightly, almost experimentally—and the reaction was instant. Luca’s knees nearly buckled.

He caught himself against Xavier’s chest with a quiet gasp.

"Now, now, keep your voice down," Xavier said in a tone so soft it might have been a whisper meant for no one else in the world.

Luca swallowed hard, nodding obediently.

Every step after in the small hideout was careful, measured, though his breathing betrayed how aware he was of those hands. Xavier followed his movements like a shadow, occasionally brushing his fingers along the sensitive lines just to see Luca’s jaw tighten and his lips press together in an effort to stay silent.

"You are very obedient," Xavier observed, his voice thoughtful but laced with something warmer, heavier.

Luca tried to look anywhere but his face. "I’m... testing the suit."

"Of course you are." Xavier’s hand slid slowly from Luca’s waist to his lower back, guiding him into another step. "And I am making sure you are thorough."

Another faint hum from the suit. Another quiet inhale Luca had to bite back.

When they finally stopped, Xavier leaned in, his forehead resting briefly against Luca’s. "This version needs... extensive evaluation. And I think we should keep the tests private."

The words sank into Luca’s ears like heat, and he could only nod again, pulse thudding in his throat.

"Good," Xavier murmured, brushing one last touch over that seam. "We will continue tomorrow. Wear this one."

The prince patted Luca’s military uniform back into place with careful precision, as though straightening each fold was a matter of national importance.

Luca, however, could only stare at him, mouth slightly open, as that composed smile stayed right where it was. How could someone look so satisfied and so smug at the same time?

"Go change," Xavier said, voice warm and unhurried, as if the entire interaction had been nothing more than a routine adjustment. "We should have the suit cleaned before we test it again tomorrow."

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion, at least on the surface. But the way his eyes lingered just a fraction too long told another story entirely.

Luca nodded quickly, almost too quickly, and turned away in a hurry before his own expression gave him away.

The uniform felt heavier now, unusually warm against his skin, but not because of the fabric. He could still feel where Xavier’s hands had been, the phantom pressure making his thoughts scatter.

He tried to focus on the practical side of things. On testing. On improvements. On anything that did not involve the memory of a certain thumb brushing along his waist.

Yet, as he changed, another idea slipped in.

A bigger one.

He’d definitely need another tester for this, right?

For science, of course.

At least, that was what he told himself while ignoring the very unscientific heat crawling up his neck.