MCLE | Chapter 6

Tut, tut.

Zero Nine lowered his gaze, following the indifferent movement of Hexion’s hands as he undid the buttons. Strong, long fingers effortlessly unfastened the ones he had clumsily secured. As the shirt parted, Zero Nine’s firm physique was revealed beneath.

There was no such thing as stealing a glance in Hexion’s dictionary. He openly pulled the fabric aside and looked down at the well-defined muscles—impressive, considering Zero Nine had spent over a decade trapped in a laboratory.

“Espers really are unfair beings.”

“It is unfair.”

They both knew they were talking about different kinds of unfairness, but neither bothered to correct the other.

Hexion reached out and ran his hand over the solid ridges of muscle, feeling them tense slightly under his touch. A bit nervous, huh? Amused, he withdrew his hand and started fastening the buttons properly.

“Lift your chin.”

Another command.

Zero Nine obediently tilted his chin up. Hexion buttoned everything except for the one just below his throat, then, without hesitation, reached for the zipper of his pants.

Reflexively, Zero Nine grabbed his wrist.

“…I can do it myself.”

“Yeah, sure you can.”

Hexion didn’t let go, but just as he tugged the zipper down, he suddenly felt a surge of irritation.

“Right. I completely forgot we need to buy you underwear.”

Zero Nine turned his head to the side and laughed under his breath. No one in the lab had ever cared what he wore underneath. But now, his guide seemed intent on supervising his undergarments too.

“I’ll have them send over a set of reasonable underwear and casual clothes. If you go around wearing this kind of underwear, I’d be taking off your pants only to zip them right back up. If it were me, anyway.”

Honestly, even the standard-issue military underwear would be better.

At that muttered remark, Zero Nine found himself oddly curious—What kind of underwear do soldiers wear? He had never thought about it before, but now, thanks to Hexion, here he was, wondering about something completely pointless.

“No, don’t put your hand—”

“Stay still.”

Zero Nine grabbed Hexion’s wrist again, but it made no difference. Hexion calmly tucked the shirt into his pants, zipped them up, and secured the buckle.

For the first time in his life, Zero Nine felt something close to embarrassment.

Hexion, sensing his reaction, casually pressed a light kiss to the tip of his chin before adjusting the jacket he had haphazardly thrown on.

Zero Nine wondered if his age had just been reduced to fifteen.

“Do you always have such little sense of personal space?”

You don’t look like you would.

“If a guide has to sync with an esper they just met, what’s the point of keeping a distance?”

“…”

Ah. I really didn’t need to hear that.

Zero Nine was purely curious about his own emotions. Was this just possessiveness, triggered by meeting a high-matching-rate guide for the first time? Or was it simply intrigue toward this person?

He quickly decided on the former. He had only known this man for a few hours—there was no reason to be interested.

Zero Nine gazed down at Hexion, who was slightly shorter than him. That self-assured demeanor, that absolute confidence, as if everything was within his grasp.

It was a feeling Zero Nine had never once experienced himself.

And yet, watching Hexion feel it stirred something in him.

“But right now,” Zero Nine mused, “I am your only esper, aren’t I?”

“That’s right. Why?”

The way this man handled me so easily, like I was just some object, and acted like everything was perfectly natural—it seriously, truly pissed me off.

Once Hexion finished straightening his own clothes, Zero Nine wrapped a hand around his waist. The suit fit him perfectly, almost like it was tailored for him. His hand slid smoothly down and grabbed onto the firm shape beneath, pulling him in close. Zero Nine wanted to see this man’s face twisted in shock.

“I don’t want to share you with other men.”

“…….”

That’s why he threw out a line just as crude as his own twisted insides.

For the first time, Hexion went silent.

Zero Nine was curious about what kind of expression he was making. Slowly, he lifted his head to look—only to find him smirking slightly.

That expression—it was so warped.

Just like him.

“That look suits you.”

And honestly, he didn’t mind it one bit.

A moment of silence passed. Zero Nine had no intention of taking back the low-grade line he had just spat out. Instead, he pulled Hexion in even closer, pressing his lips against the crisp collar of his shirt.

Hexion stared down at him, his brown hair falling coolly over his forehead, before his lips finally curled.

It didn’t quite look like a smile.

Zero Nine had assumed that, at the very least, Hexion would react with discomfort. Because that would’ve made sense.

But just like how he handled me like I was nothing, couldn’t I do the same?

The thought burned with resistance.

Silence.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved.

Then, Hexion acted.

Ah, so I’m about to get slapped? Kicked, maybe?

Zero Nine was prepared to accept whatever came next.

But instead—

“Shall we?”

“…Hah.”

Hexion’s arms wrapped around Zero Nine’s neck. The unexpected words and movement made Zero Nine let out a scoff as he looked up.

His face was right in front of him.

“There’s no way you’ll ever have to share me with other guys.”

Hexion smirked, eyes narrowing slightly as he tilted his head down to gaze at him.

“No one’s gonna stop us if we strip or tangle up right here.”

He whispered, his voice as soft as silk.

Zero Nine clenched his teeth at that smooth tone. It was a deliberate provocation—he had thrown out that line earlier just to rile him up, just to poke at him like some actor who couldn’t even deliver his lines properly.

If it had been anyone else, they would’ve reacted exactly the way he expected.

But right now, he was facing Hexion.

Hexion Theobald—the man who had spent ten years rolling around the battlefield, dealing with countless Espers.

If Zero Nine was some rookie actor fumbling through his first script, then Hexion was the seasoned veteran who had been on stage for years, already drowning in applause.

A man with piercing gray eyes that quietly closed in on him.

Zero Nine felt so sick of him, he thought he might go insane.

“…You really lack common sense.”

Then, Hexion whispered again, this time in a voice too gentle.

“My catastrophe. There’s nothing here that’s more outside the norm than you.”

Such a sweet voice. But clearly a challenge.

Hexion was meeting provocation with provocation.

And once again, I’m the only one left stumbling over the unexpected.

Zero Nine’s lips stretched into a wide grin.

“You’re acting like you already know everything about me.”

Still grinning, Zero Nine yanked Hexion in and shoved him against the wall. One hand slammed against the surface behind him, blocking any escape. There was a solid thud, but Hexion didn’t feel a hint of pain. That brief moment of clarity left space for another thought.

Hmm. Honestly, this isn’t the best place for a first-time fuck. But… the thrill is nice.

Zero Nine’s grin deepened as his grip tightened around Hexion’s ass. His large hands, the thick veins running across them—it was almost menacing. His already wide smile darkened, and just when he thought he couldn’t grin any harder, it spread even wider, like a heavy scent of cologne lingering in the air.

“So, you don’t like it?”

“Are you seriously asking me that?”

A bright smile. But the words came out like they were being chewed up and spat out. The contrast was jarring. Hexion noticed it right away. Ah, he’s completely twisted up inside. This is gonna be a bit of a hassle.

Zero Nine parted his lips. Then, he bit down on Hexion’s.

Pain flared from his lower lip, and soon, the taste of blood spread across his tongue. A rough tongue pushed its way in, and Hexion accepted it willingly. Their tongues tangled, soaked in the metallic taste of blood.

Zero Nine sucked on Hexion’s tongue before sinking his sharp canines into it. A sharp sting shot through him, making his brows knit together for a brief moment. Tsk. Slurp. When Zero Nine tilted his head, mixing saliva with blood, Hexion had no choice but to swallow the flood of warmth along with it.

Ah, he’s learning this way too fast. Honestly, this was unexpected.

Haa—he took in a sharp breath, even though it wasn’t his first time kissing. Unswallowed saliva dripped down, staining his chin. Hexion, still staring at Zero Nine’s beautifully curved eyes up close, thought to himself.

‘So he knows how to kiss like a goddamn delinquent.’

Where the hell did he learn this? Another guide before me? Ah, thinking about that left an annoying twist in his gut.

Zero Nine kept biting and sucking on his tongue, the alternating pressure sending occasional spikes of pain. Every time he tried to inhale, their lips pressed together again, as if forbidding him from breathing. Their heated breaths mingled.

Squelch.

With one last rough suck on his lower lip, Zero Nine finally pulled away. Hexion smirked crookedly, lips glistening with a mix of blood and saliva.