<div> Chapter 78: The costume
 Lucian pressed the marker harder than necessary against the whiteboard.
 The final equation stretched across the surface in clean, precise handwriting. He solved it smoothly, wrote the answer beneath it, and stepped back.
 Correct.
 Again.
 "I managed to solve every question in two textbooks..." he muttered under his breath.
 His room was quiet except for the faint scratching sound of Coco shifting on the floor and the soft hum of the ceiling fan.
 He should’ve felt accomplished.
 But his eyes drifted.
 Back to the bed.
 Back to the box.
 Back to that parcel.
 "...and my mind is still stuck on that stupid thing."
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 </div> He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
 He had thought distracting himself would help. Numbers always helped. Equations were predictable. Logical. They didn’t ambush you four months later with lace and poor life decisions.
 But no matter how many formulas he solved, his thoughts kept circling back.
 What was I even thinking back then? He thought
 His gaze lingered on the bed, where the bunny lingerie sat folded awkwardly, almost mockingly.
 And then the memory came back in full.
 Four months ago.
 Scrolling absentmindedly through social media.
 A link titled: "How to Take Your Relationship to the Next Level."
 He had clicked out of curiosity. Pure curiosity.
 That link had led somewhere else.
 And somewhere along the way, he had seen it ,an omega wearing a cute bunny lingerie set, shy yet bold, trying to impress his alpha.
 Lucian groaned softly and covered his face.
 He remembered the feeling.
 His heart racing.
 His ears burning.
 The ridiculous thought that maybe, just maybe , Ethan would look at him differently.
 That maybe Ethan would want him more after seeing that side
 That maybe it would push things forward.
 So he had ordered it.
 Impulsively.
 Secretly.
 And then the package got lost in shipping.
 And now , of all times , it decided to appear.
 "Unbelievable," he whispered.
 Heat crept up his neck as embarrassment settled in fully.
 It wasn’t just the outfit.
 It was what it meant.
 He had wanted to try.
 To be brave.
 To close the distance between them.
 And now things were complicated. Messy. Fragile.
 He rubbed his temple, pacing slowly.
 "It’s very simple," he told himself. "I can just dump it in the trash."
 He stopped.
 "No... someone can easily see it."
 His eyes widened slightly at the horrifying possibility of Merida discovering it or worse .... his father
 He began pacing again.
 "I can just burn it—"
 He froze.
 "No. That will only attract attention. And I have a vibrator in there that won’t melt that easily..."
 His brain stalled.
 He stared at the wall.
 "...Why did I even say that out loud?"
 He pressed his palm to his forehead.
 "Or I can just hide it."
 That seemed safer.
 But where?
 His mind ran through possibilities like solving a complex equation , wardrobe, under the mattress, inside old school boxes, behind textbooks.
 And yet none of them felt secure enough.
 Lucian sank down onto the edge of the bed, staring at the lace between his fingers.
 He was book smart.
 Top of his class.
 Logical.
 Analytical.
 But when it came to things like this?
 His brain completely short-circuited.
 He wasn’t prepared for emotions.
 For desire.
 For the way his heart reacted around Ethan.
 He looked down at the soft fabric again, cheeks still warm.
 Back then, he had been hopeful.
 Now, he wasn’t even sure where he stood.
 And somehow, that hurt more than the embarrassment ever could.
 Steam still clung to his skin when Lucian stepped out of the bathroom, a loose gown tied around his waist. The shower had been long , longer than usual ,as if hot water alone could rinse away embarrassment.
 It hadn’t.
 He sat down in front of his vanity, lifting the dryer and running it through his damp hair. Warm air filled the quiet room. The noise was steady, grounding.
 For a moment, his mind emptied.
 Then his gaze shifted.
 In the mirror’s reflection ,slightly blurred by leftover steam , he saw it.
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 </div> The parcel.
 Still resting on his bed like an accusation.
 The dryer slowed in his hand.
 He turned it off.
 Silence returned instantly, heavy and intimate.
 Lucian placed the dryer down carefully and stood. Each step toward the bed felt deliberate, almost cautious ,like approaching something alive.
 He reached down and picked up the bunny ears first.
 They were softer than he expected.
 He ran his thumb along the fabric, feeling the plush texture slide beneath his skin. His heartbeat quickened, each thud echoing louder in his chest.
 Why did this feel so intense?
 He swallowed.
 Then he picked up the tail , attached to the small device. He stared at it for a second longer than necessary.
 "People are so creative," he muttered under his breath, half in disbelief, half in nervous awe.
 The remote sat beside it.
 He hesitated before picking it up.
 His pulse spiked the moment his fingers curled around it. His heart was pounding so loudly now he was certain he could hear it in his ears. His thoughts scrambled. Heat crept up his neck again.
 It wasn’t even on.
 But the idea of it made his blood rush wildly.
 He stared at the power button.
 His thumb hovered.
 It’s just a button.
 His breathing grew shallow.
 He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed it.
 ...
 Nothing.
 He slowly opened one eye.
 Silence.
 He pressed it again.
 Still nothing.
 Confusion replaced panic. He flipped the remote over, slid open the back cover , and stared.
 Empty.
 No batteries.
 For a second, he just blinked.
 Then he let out a breathless laugh , half relief, half embarrassment.
 "Oh... yeah. No batteries."
 His shoulders dropped instantly.
 The tension that had wound tight in his chest unraveled all at once. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until it rushed out of him.
 He sat there on the edge of the bed, remote dangling loosely in his hand, heart gradually settling back into a normal rhythm.
 Ridiculous.
 Completely ridiculous.
 He shook his head softly, placing the remote back down.
 Book smart, he reminded himself.
 Definitely not life smart.
 And as he stared at the costume again, cheeks still faintly warm, he couldn’t decide what was more overwhelming , the fact that he once bought it out of hope...
 Or the fact that a tiny missing pair of batteries had just saved him from his own courage.
 He walked to his wardrobe, pushing aside neatly folded shirts and stacked boxes until his fingers brushed against something metallic and familiar.
 The small robot.
 Dust had settled lightly on its surface , a forgotten project from years ago. He had programmed it himself, spent nights adjusting wires and debugging lines of code until it finally responded to his voice.
 He held it in both hands now, staring at it with a conflicted expression.
 "Sorry, buddy... but I need something from you."
 He carefully unscrewed the back panel, exposing the inner wiring. His movements were precise, almost apologetic. He removed the batteries , the exact same size as the ones the remote required.
 I can’t believe I’m sacrificing my robot for this, he thought, feeling both ridiculous and determined.
 He carried the batteries back to the bed.
 The room felt warmer now. Quieter.
 He slid the batteries into the remote and closed the compartment with a soft click.
 For a second, he just stared at it in his hand.
 Then he pressed the power button.
 A faint hum vibrated to life.
 Lucian froze.
 The sound was subtle , but unmistakable. The device responded instantly, buzzing softly in his palm.
 His throat went dry.
 His fingers tightened slightly as awareness flooded his senses. The gentle vibration traveled through his hand, and heat bloomed low in his stomach. His heartbeat began to climb again , faster than before, louder.
 It wasn’t even touching him.
 And yet his body reacted.
 He swallowed hard, staring at it like it was something far more dangerous than it looked.
 That’s when a sudden rustling noise broke through the moment.
 Lucian snapped his head toward the sound.
 Coco.
 The dog was happily chewing on one of his shoes, tail wagging as if nothing in the world was unusual.
 Lucian blinked.
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 </div> The contrast nearly made him laugh.
 He stared at Coco for a few seconds, the absurdity of the situation settling in. His heart was racing, his room felt charged with tension ,and there was his dog, completely oblivious, gnawing on leather.
 He exhaled slowly.
 Then he set the remote down and walked over, scooping Coco up into his arms.
 "Sorry, Coco," he muttered, carrying him toward the door. "I don’t know how Ethan was able to do things with you around..."
 He paused briefly, cheeks warming again.
 "...but I’m going to need some privacy."
 He stepped into the hallway and gently set Coco down outside the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
 The lock turned.
 And just like that, the silence inside his bedroom deepened, no distractions now.
 Only him.
 And the quiet hum still waiting on the bed</div>
 

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Chapter 78: The costume

Chapter 78: The costume Lucian pressed the marker harder than necessary against the whiteboard. The final equation stretched across the surface in clean, precise handwriting. He solved it smoothly, wrote the answer beneath it, and stepped back. Correct. Again. "I managed to solve every question in two textbooks..." he muttered under his breath. His room was quiet except for the faint scratching sound of Coco shifting on the floor and the soft hum of the ceiling fan. He should’ve felt...

AGAINST THE RULES: their scentless omega

Chapter 78: The costume

AGAINST THE RULES: their scentless omega - Chapter 78: The costume