Chapter 66: Help me, okay? (Slight M)

Lucien’s unfocused eyes were glazed, a sheen of tears gathering at their corners.

Tiny droplets of moisture clung to the corners of his lashes, glistening softly.

He was still reeling, caught in the heavy aftereffects of coming. Every nerve ending felt raw and hypersensitive, as if the very air against his skin was too much to bear. His limbs felt heavy, pinned to the ground by a pleasant exhaustion that made his muscles twitch rhythmically beneath the surface.

Even after being freed, his lips remained parted—wet, swollen, and trembling—as he greedily drew in deep, ragged breaths. He had heard Zephyr chuckle, a low, magnetic sound that vibrated through him, before a soft whisper brushed against his lips. The sound sent a shiver racing down his spine.

Lucien seemed to understand what Zephyr was saying, yet the meaning remained just beyond his grasp... Somewhere within his dazed mind, a warning bell rang, telling him that something was extremely wrong. But the overwhelming pleasure drowned out the warning before he could make sense of it.

Even as the cool touch beneath his shirt moved from the warm, steady skin of his stomach and lower back to pull the fabric upward—exposing the flushed expanse of his pale chest—Lucien offered no reaction.

Zephyr’s eyes curved as he pressed his leg deeper between Lucien’s, his thigh rubbing against the wet area. He could feel Lucien’s body react once again, a subtle tremor that sent a surge of satisfaction through him.

Lucien’s breath hitched, a broken sound escaping his throat as his toes curled up.

The brilliant golden light from the healing spell still hummed faintly in the air, casting a warm glow over their intertwined bodies.

Zephyr hadn’t been stopped.

So why should he stop? He leaned down, pressing his lips against the sensitive hollow of Lucien’s throat. His teeth grazed the skin lightly before he moved lower.

His hands were not still either. One traced the line of Lucien’s shoulder blade while the other moved up along his abdomen, fingers rubbing and kneading against his trembling chest, greedily mapping out every contour.

When his thumb brushed against a small, soft, hard point, he pressed over it once, his pupils narrowing slightly. Unable to control himself, he pinched it between his fingers, twisting with a sharp, deliberate pressure.

That sensation acted like a thunderous lightning strike to Lucien’s clouded mind.

His glazed eyes snapped open, the fog instantly shattering. He gasped, his whole body jerking upward as if he’d been struck.

"Wait...!"

Lucien choked out, his voice cracked and raw, foreign to his own ears as he let out a shaky exhale. What the hell was going on? No, what the hell had he done?! Shit! Shit! Shit! His hands immediately scrambled to grab Zephyr’s, quickly holding them tightly.

"I said wait!!"

Zephyr paused, then responded by pressing a firm kiss to the corner of Lucien’s mouth.

A flicker of regret washed over him; he had been greedy and pushed too hard, and now the haze had vanished from Lucien’s mind.

Still, he deliberately pressed his reaction—something he had ignored till now—against Lucien’s abdomen. He could feel Lucien’s heart hammering against his own chest.

It was clear Lucien wasn’t entirely indifferent.

Quickly pulling a pitiful, aggrieved, innocent expression onto his face, Zephyr took one of Lucien’s hands and guided it downward.

"Cien... Help me, okay?"

Lucien froze for a second as his hand touched something big, hard, and hot.

Then his eyes widened. An explosion seemed to go off inside his head.

His ears turned beet red, his expression caught somewhere between utter fluster and sheer panic. He hastily withdrew his hand as though scalded, then pressed both hands against Zephyr’s chest and pushed himself away before rolling to the side, his breaths coming in short, hurried bursts.

For a moment, he simply lay there, his face buried against the ground and his shoulder, as though hiding from reality itself. With his other hand, he shakily tugged his shirt back down into place and pulled his legs closer, desperately trying to regain his composure.

It was useless.

Countless messy curses filled his mind, each one louder than the last.

After all, he remembered everything.

Every single damn thing that had just happened between him and Zephyr!

Fuck! Lucien had done nothing, yet somehow, he had done everything!!

He had even lost control so badly that he had soiled his pants! Shit! Shit! This was the biggest embarrassment of his life!

And it was all because their compatibility was a perfect 100%! His wavelength had resonated with Zephyr’s far too powerfully, causing them to lose control completely!

Ultimately, he squeezed his eyes shut, his flushed face burning even hotter. To think that he had once declared that he would never go down and dirty with an Esper like those idiotic Guides who chased nothing but pleasure and had even said, ’Ewww!’

What a joke!

He wanted to bury his past self!

The self that disdained other Guides!

This world where such things were the norm was not made for his pure soul.

Someone, please send him back home!!!

He almost lost his chastity!!

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, Zephyr just had to open his mouth at that moment and make things even worse.

"Cien, I will take responsibility."

Lucien was so angry that he almost laughed.

Almost.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and snapped.

"Just stay silent!!"

Zephyr immediately fell silent, letting out a quiet sigh. He didn’t dare say anything else.

In the end, he simply turned his body toward where Lucien had rolled away, a faintly helpless expression on his face.

He genuinely seemed at a loss for what to do. Unconsciously, he rubbed his fingers together as he thought, still remembering the warmth of Lucien’s skin against them.

He really had liked what he had done.

That was why he didn’t apologize.

And there was no regret either.

A pity Lucien didn’t want him to take responsibility, and his little scheme had failed before it could even begin.

After a while, Lucien finally took a deep breath and managed to calm himself down a little. He pushed himself upright, settling onto his knees, and forcefully banished the embarrassing scenes from his mind.

Or at least, he tried to.

From the corners of his eyes, he glanced at Zephyr.

The man was rubbing his fingers together.

The very same fingers that had earlier...

Lucien immediately cut that thought off.

No. Absolutely not.

He was not going to think about it again!

His expression darkened as he turned toward Zephyr with a forced smile.

"When did your mind clear?"

Zephyr blinked, a flicker of guilt gliding through his gaze. For a brief moment, he stayed silent, as though carefully choosing his words. And when he finally answered, his low voice didn’t waver in the slightest.

"I don’t know exactly when. Everything felt hazy. Perhaps... I did it all unconsciously."

His expression was so calm and sincere that, for a moment, Lucien almost believed him. Almost. There was just something about the faint glint in Zephyr’s eyes that made Lucien feel like he was being played!

His blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Are you sure that’s what happened? I distinctly remember you whispering something to me earlier. What was it?"

Zephyr’s expression remained perfectly calm, but he could already tell where this conversation was heading. He tilted his head a bit, pretending to think seriously.

"Did I?"

"Yes. You did."

Zephyr hummed thoughtfully, his fingers brushing against his chin. After so long, his erection had subsided somewhat. At least, he could lie there more comfortably now.

"I don’t remember."

Lucien’s voice was almost squeezed out.

"You don’t remember?"

"No."

The answer came far too smoothly.

Lucien’s eyelid twitched.

Feeling the burning gaze, Zephyr sat up, suddenly finding tidying his clothes very interesting. Honestly, he really had no intention of answering that question.

After all, remembering was one thing.

Admitting it was another.

Ultimately, Zephyr spoke in a quiet voice.

"I know things went a little too far this time. I understand that I crossed a line, so I’ll take responsibility. I won’t make excuses for it—"

"Shut up."

This time, Lucien didn’t shout. He simply cut him off with a flat, exasperated voice.

He still had plenty of questions to ask.

What had been going through Zephyr’s mind? Why had he pushed his skills so far beyond their limits? And, more importantly, why had he allowed things to escalate until physical guidance had become necessary in the first place?! He also wanted Zephyr to promise—firmly—that he would never, ever use his powers so recklessly again! Lucien had no intention of letting him repeat what had happened earlier! But before he could get a single word out, Zephyr said pitifully.

"It was my first time..."

Lucien’s expression turned rigid.

For a brief moment, he just stared at him, unable to believe what he had heard.

Then his hand twitched.

He really wanted to strangle this Esper!

Damn it!

It’s not like they had gone all the way!

So why was Zephyr making it sound as though he had just lost his innocence??

Also...

If this was the first time, then what the hell was that that happened between the two of them in the first Disaster-Level Dungeon?!

Don’t tell him Zephyr had forgotten that??

And since when the hell had Lucien ever claimed to have experience in such things?!

He was the one being touched here!!