Zero had never imagined himself in this situation before.
He'd always had a few friends among the Maverick Hunters, but he wasn't really a people person, and most of his friends had either turned Maverick or left the organization for their own reasons. The one consistent friend he had was X, and they'd had their fair share of clashes - destiny, some claimed, and it certainly explained why Zero had been forced to fight some of his other friends.
Destiny had a lot of explaining to do, though. After all this time of tearing his friends away from him, it had given Zero two lovers… and for the first time that he could remember, he was truly content with his life.
Iris had just gotten a new private room after her restoration, and Zero had come to visit her for the evening. She had taken up a position beside him, occupying herself with brushing his hair - a task he'd had to do himself for far too long.
About halfway through, there was a tentative knock on the door, and Iris stopped and looked at Zero. He smiled back at her, then turned his attention to the door.
"Come on in," he said, still smiling. "You don't need to be shy."
The door opened, revealing Layer on the other side, and she was blushing like mad. Zero laughed and patted the side of the pod he was sitting on, inviting her to join.
"S-sorry…" Layer made her way over after closing the door behind her. "I… I didn't want to look too suspicious…"
Iris giggled. "Everyone knows about our arrangement now. It's like Zero said - there's no need to be shy."
"…If you so insist…" Layer seated herself on Zero's other side. "…Um…"
"Here." Iris offered the hairbrush to Layer. "You can finish brushing his hair."
Layer hesitated for a moment before taking the hairbrush, and she turned to Zero, blushing even deeper. He hummed and nodded in response, then shifted his position to make it easier for her to brush his hair.
He wouldn't admit it to just anyone, but Zero loved being pampered like this…
