CHAPTER 573: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

"Have you forgotten how we prepared before?" Xavier asked, his tone casual, but his eyes glinted like he already knew the answer.

Meanwhile, Luca froze under the quilt. The warmth in his cheeks deepened as memories, blurry and scattered yet far too vivid in certain places, flashed back all at once.

Oh, he remembered.

How could he not?

However, he could not really be too specific. Not because he did not want to, but because his mind back then had been nothing more than a warm, dizzy mush.

There was no way he could’ve remembered every single caress when he’d been too preoccupied trying to stay inside his body.

His lips pressed together in a tight line. "...No. I remember."

"Good." Xavier’s mouth curved in faint satisfaction, though the softness in his gaze kept it from feeling like a trap. "Then, in that case, I believe you know why we need to do it again. I do not want you to get hurt."

Luca’s ears burned.

Every time Xavier showed this much care, he just couldn’t help but feel something in his stomach.

"I’m fine. I’ve... I’ve exercised more since then," he blurted, the words tumbling out in a rush.

He really had; he thought long and hard about it before and promised he’d work on it.

So surely, it would be fine, right?

However, this got the prince chuckling low in his throat, the sound warm enough to slide right under the quilt with him. "Exercised more, hm?"

Luca, still peeking out from his cocoon, nodded with the determined seriousness of a man who thought squats and stretching might have anything to do with this kind of preparation.

Heck, he even ran more for endurance!

Xavier initially paused after hearing this, but the mere thought that his little wife considered anything related to this had him in stitches.

Cute.

So fucking cute.

"You did well," Xavier murmured, clearly amused but not about to correct him just yet. "And I’m proud of you. But there’s something else we need to prepare for. If we start today, maybe we can do more tomorrow."

That made Luca’s eyes tremble. "...More?"

"Mhm."

He hesitated, then nodded, trying to recall the steps from last time. It was not like he had a written list, but he was sure he would recognize it when it happened.

Or so he thought.

Which was exactly why, when Xavier leaned in and murmured, "Then let’s begin," and proceeded to do something very different from what he remembered, Luca’s mind went blank.

Completely, utterly blank.

__

To be fair, Luca told himself he was ready.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally.

He had said yes. He had nodded without hesitation. He had even thought back to the last time they did this, replaying the memory as best he could. His heart was racing, but his resolve felt solid. He was not going to shy away.

Xavier leaned closer, fingers brushing over the soft fabric of his pajamas. "We’ll need to take these off," he murmured, voice low but unyielding.

Luca hesitated only for a moment before nodding. His fingers fumbled at the buttons, but Xavier stopped him with a gentle touch to his wrists.

"Let me."

He undid each button with deliberate patience, as if savoring the slow reveal of pale, flushed skin. The air in the room felt warmer with every inch bared. When the shirt slid from his shoulders and pooled beside them on the bed, Luca felt as though every breath he took was louder than it should be.

Then Xavier reached for the drawstring of his pants. Luca’s pulse stuttered, but he obediently lifted his hips when prompted. The fabric slid down his thighs—only for Xavier to pause mid-motion, eyebrows lifting slightly.

Luca blinked in confusion until it hit him.

He wasn’t wearing underwear.

A slow, knowing smile tugged at Xavier’s lips, his gaze flicking down and back up again with unmistakable amusement. "Were you planning to surprise me?"

Mortification struck instantly. "I-I forgot!" Luca blurted, voice small. His hands shot down in a half-hearted attempt to cover himself.

"Forgot?" The prince’s tone carried far too much amusement.

"Yes! I was—" Luca stopped himself, cheeks blazing. He couldn’t exactly admit he’d been so distracted after the shower that he’d thrown on his pajamas without thinking. Nor could he say he’d panicked when Xavier knocked earlier, worried because he’d been in the bathroom too long. "I just... wasn’t thinking."

"Mmh." Xavier let the moment linger, the teasing glint in his eyes making it clear he wasn’t entirely convinced. "I’ll believe you. For now."

When the pajama bottoms joined the shirt on the floor, his gaze softened before he leaned in. His lips claimed Luca’s in a slow, coaxing kiss—warm and sure, the kind that left no room for doubt.

The kiss ended with a soft pull, but his mouth drifted lower, tracing the line of Luca’s jaw before brushing the fluttering pulse in his neck. Each kiss was unhurried, almost reverent, sending shivers through him.

Large, steady hands slid over his sides, fingers brushing the curve of his waist before gliding down to his thighs. The touch was firm enough to anchor him yet gentle enough to make his skin tingle. Luca’s breath caught when Xavier’s palms spread over the tops of his thighs, thumbs stroking slow, lazy circles into tense muscle.

Yes. This felt familiar. This was what he remembered.

Xavier dipped lower, lips pressing a kiss to the inside of one thigh, then the other.

Luca’s heart pounded harder. He told himself to relax, to let him work. His muscles trembled, but he stayed still, even as those lips lingered longer than before.

Another kiss. Warmer. Closer. His breathing grew shallower.

And then—

His eyes flew open.

Xavier’s mouth had moved lower still, his warm breath ghosting over a place Luca had not been expecting. Every thought in his head stuttered to a halt, replaced by the rush of heat up his spine.

"???"

He swallowed hard. "X-Xavier...?"

The prince’s voice was calm, almost amused. "Relax. You said you wanted to prepare."

Prepare...? Luca’s mind spun. This was not what they did last time. At least... he didn’t remember it.

Had they? No. Surely he would have remembered something like this.

Before he could decide whether to protest or hide under the quilt again, Xavier’s lips pressed against his most private place in a slow, deliberate kiss.

Luca gasped sharply, hips twitching despite himself.

Stars above, what was that—