Three days later...
A blonde man wearing a white suit was currently carrying a black suitcase. He was standing straight, like a noble. Or perhaps he was. His crystal-blue eyes stared at the railway with no emotion. He looked like a beautiful statue.
The noise of the upcoming train disturbed Eugene's "train" of thought. He glanced up to see the black locomotive fast approaching in his direction. He couldn't help but look again at his pocket watch. "Where is he...?"
The locomotive stopped in front of him as the doors opened to welcome the new passengers. Eugene was hesitating whether to walk inside and reserve seats for him and Lucian or to just wait for Lucian.
"Marquis Fergus, let's go!" Eugene's arm was suddenly grabbed by a bronze-skinned alpha. The scent of spring invaded his senses.
'It's the first time I smelled his own scent. It was like the fragrance of nature, same with the scent of his handkerchief from before,' Eugene thought as he let himself be dragged inside the locomotive. They immediately settled into the vacant seat they found.
They were sitting facing each other with their suitcases beside them. The nobles were thankful that the passengers today were fewer than usual.
Lucian massaged the bridge of his nose before taking out a handkerchief to swipe the sweat on his forehead. He looked apologetically at the blonde alpha in front of him. "I'm so sorry for arriving late, Marquis Fergus. I had to fix something at home at the last minute."
Actually, he was late because Charlotte suddenly threw a tantrum after he discovered that Lucian would be away for a month or so. The two betas also looked aggrieved by this news and thus gave him the cold shoulder. Lucian had to coax the youngest and hug the two teary-eyed betas.
"Relax. It's not like I'm not going to come back after this," Lucian consoled them, rubbing their backs and heads like a good brother. Perhaps he was.
Charlotte cried. "Please come back soon. Sooner. The soonest! I'm going to miss you! Hic."
Lucian took the time to pacify all of his siblings helplessly before he bowed to his father as he bid farewell to them. Promising that he would return home safely.
Alas, he had to run all the way the moment he saw a blonde man standing in front of the train. Eugene looked so lonely that Lucian had the urge to just grab him and drag him inside before a dramatic song would play out of nowhere. 'Eugene literally looked like a broken-hearted lover waiting for his ex to come back or something.'
Eugene took in all of the micro-expressions on Lucian's handsome face. Every furrow of his brow, the pursing of his lips, and even his nose crunches. Lucian, in Eugene's eyes, was just so aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. Like a perfect statue.
Eugene finally responded, "It's fine. I took no offense, for that matter. We made it in time anyway." He shrugged.
'Of course we made it in time. If I didn't run like an athlete, we would have to wait for another 30 minutes or so,' Lucian grumbled inside his head as he plopped his head on the train seat. He felt like the energy he stored for the entire month was drained like crazy. He was compliant. He shouldn't have trusted his guess. Even with a slightly muscular body, not exercising would still tire him, just like his original body.
He was convinced that, aside from participating in the investigation, he would also do exercises at the border. 'Speaking of...' He glanced at the man in front of him.
"Do you work out?" Lucian suddenly blurted out the question lingering in his mind. He was shocked when he realized he had actually said it. He covered his mouth. "Ah, I'm sorry. Please don't mind. That was so random."
'He might think I'm a pervert or something,' Lucian cried in his head. After all, who in their right mind would suddenly question an alpha about their workout routine? Doesn't it sound like a pick-up line by some flirty omegas in movies?
Lucian was so ashamed that his ears were shaded in red, and his cheeks felt hot as well.
Eugene stared at the younger man with the gentleness that only outsiders could see, but never Lucian. Lucian was still busy fidgeting with his cufflinks out of shyness.
"I do jogs every morning and then do push-ups every Tuesday and Wednesday, rest on Thursdays, do squats on Fridays, and then weekends are either spent on lifting weights or recovering." Eugene's answer was so precise that Lucian's nervousness was gone.
'Wow, he really took my question seriously.' Lucian admired Eugene's patience. If he could be like him, he would probably pull some girls, right?
"No wonder Marquis' physique was majestic," Lucian praised. He then remembered the slightly thin Eugene he met two weeks ago.
Eugene seemed to read his thoughts, seeing how Lucian glanced at his wrists, which were back to their normal thickness. "Although, back at the border, I had no time to do work outs. The pressure of the work is quite heavy and information gathering is very draining. I barely had time to eat and sleep. Thankfully, I'm done with that now. Plus, there's you too. I would trouble you to force me to eat or sleep if I suddenly act obsessed over the case in the future."
Lucian smiled. "Leave it to me, Marquis Fergus."
Eugene smiled back as he leaned his elbow on the table between them, his chin resting on his hand. "Honestly, I'm thinking of removing formalities between us," he said lightly.
"Me too!" Lucian's golden eyes sparkled in delight. "I also want you to call me by my name."
"Then, Lucian...?"
"Yes, Eugene?"
Eugene blinked. Seconds later, a soft smile was etched on his lips. "Nothing."
'It's just that... I like the way you say my name.'
...
Perhaps Lucian was so stressed from all the whining and running happening before he boarded the train, to the point that he exhausted himself and just fell asleep while sitting. His head would bob right and left, up and down, like a dead chicken. However, instead of looking like a weird chicken, he still looked angelic. Especially since his beautiful eyebrows were relaxed and his plump pinkish lips were slightly apart, he would sometimes purse them if disturbed.
Eugene looked at the pitiful alpha. He pressed a fist on his lips to stop himself from laughing. 'He's so adorable.'
He stood up from his seat and placed himself beside Lucian. He gently placed his hand on the side of Lucian's head before carefully pushing it onto his shoulder. Eugene's hand traveled from Lucian's head down to his shoulder, rubbing it with his thumb.
Lucian suddenly felt comfortable with his new position. He nuzzled closer to his 'pillow', his nose settling on Eugene's neck. 'My pillow smells so good,' he thought, pulling it closer than ever.
Eugene chuckled as he let Lucian sniff him all over, still gently caressing the younger man's shoulder. They kept this position until the train stopped at the station. It was already noon.
Lucian felt someone tapping his cheek. He grunted. "Five more minutes, please..." He murmured something inaudible after that, which Eugene did not hear clearly at all.
Eugene patiently woke up the bronze-skinned alpha until Lucian could finally think straight. Upon realizing that he used Eugene as his personal pillow, he was so flustered that he apologized six times while walking out of the train and while they ate at a small restaurant for a quick lunch.
"Enough, Lucian. I'll accept your apology, if that's what you want to hear." Eugene held Lucian's wrist as they rented another carriage to travel to the border. There were no railways on the border, so they could only go there by carriage.
Lucian's eyes screamed guilt. He gently tugged on Eugene's handcuff. "You're not lying?"
"Yes, yes. Come here." Eugene pulled Lucian inside the carriage to sit beside him. Their suitcases were situated on the seats in front of them. "How about you sleep some more?"
Lucian shook his head in horror. "No, thank you."
'I don't want a pillow Eugene version, part two,' he added inside his head with a groan.
"Forget about it, Lucian. I told you I don't really mind it," Eugene said after he realized why the younger man confused his considerate offer.
Lucian frowned. 'Well, I do mind!' But he remained silent. He turned his head to the window instead and focused on the changing scenery.
The atmosphere near the border is quite thick, compared to the Grand Duchy of Le Riche, where Lucian lived. There's something off with the vibe, from his perspective. Most likely, he's just a biased citizen of their dukedom.
"How long are we going to arrive at the border, Eugene?" Lucian asked out of boredom. He wanted to fiddle with something. His hands are itching.
"About an hour or two. Bear with it for quite some time. Once we arrive, we can take a short rest first before eating dinner," Eugene assured the fidgety young alpha.
Lucian rubbed the lower buttons of his vest. "Okay," he compromised weakly. He badly wanted to rest. All that running and sleeping without moving caused a terrible ache in his stiff body. 'Another reason to exercise, I guess.'
Eugene did not lie when he told Lucian that they would arrive within an hour. Lucian was so relieved when he finally got out of the carriage. He flexed his waist, twisting it from right to left, left to right, before massaging his stiff shoulders. He then picked up the suitcase he left on the ground.
Eugene watched the younger man move his lithe body intently, particularly the man's snatched waist. Lucian is just so beautiful on a daily basis. Can Eugene even get used to this? He bet he couldn't.
Lucian looked back at Eugene with a raised eyebrow. "Let's go rent an apartment here, probably the nearest in the center of the border."
"Okay."
And so they arrived at the reception desk of an apartment. It was just so-so. Not too flashy or too cheap. Despite being a local tyrant, Lucian doesn't mind living without luxury. Actually, he finds simplicity to be something better than being too shiny. He even suggested that they would just rent one apartment instead of renting two different rooms.
Which meant...
"Are you sure you're fine sharing a bed with me, Lucian?" Eugene asked skeptically. A duke's son would actually sleep with other people?
Lucian grabbed the key the receptionist gave them, circling it on his fingers. "Come on, we're both alphas. It's no big deal," he said nonchalantly, brushing past Eugene's shoulder to lead the way. "It's not like you're a pervert too, so it's fine."
'Oh, Lucian...' Eugene sighed in his heart. If the person Lucian came with was not him, wouldn't it be dangerous for the younger alpha? "You trust people so easily," Eugene pointed out seriously. His lips were pursed, and his eyebrows were furrowed a bit, as if reprimanding Lucian.
Lucian could not see Eugene's face since he was leading the way upstairs, so he only based the older man's emotions on his voice, which sounded so calm. "Not really. It's just that I trust you better than anyone."
"Even if we've only known each other for quite some time?"
Lucian smirked. "I'm a good judge of people's character. Stop underestimating me, Eugene." It was the truth for him. Even in his life as 'Cheng Ge', he could tell who was genuine and who was faking it.
"And you judge them through what?" Eugene inquired.
"Through intuition," Lucian answered back lightly. He couldn't help but pump his fist up in his mind. 'Shit, I sounded so cool.' In reality, he usually makes judgments based on his mental scale, data, and forecasting. He stinks at intuition.
Eugene knew that Lucian was just answering him as a form of teasing. He helplessly shook his head as they came to a stop.
Lucian carefully inserted the key into the white door of their apartment. Room 22. With a click, he twisted the doorknob, swinging the door open to see what was inside.
There was basic furniture in the center of the room. There was a square table with a vase on top, three cushioned single chairs, a sofa near the wall, a cabinet beside it, and a small chandelier at the ceiling. Facing the door was a huge window with white curtains; there was also a white window seat with matching white pillows. On the left side was another path leading to a small kitchen, while the right side has two doors, one for the bedroom and one for the bathroom.
"Not bad," Lucian muttered after inspecting the whole apartment. "This is enough for just the two of us, isn't it?"
"Yes," answered Eugene absentmindedly. He was in a daze. His heated eyes were planted on the queen-size bed. Would two adult alphas even fit in there? 'I should just sleep on the sofa.'
No wonder the receptionist gave them a long glance when they rented just one apartment.
"Eugene, I'm going to take a bath first. Is it okay?" Lucian dropped his suitcase near the nightstand of their bedroom.
Eugene nodded, settling on the living room's single chair while opening his own suitcase. He took out the files, worth 500 pounds. "No problem. Do as you please. I'll be busy for a while, anyway."
Lucian stared at the files first, his eyes slowly dragging over the older man's fair and strong fingers up to the man's face. He only noticed then that Eugene actually wore rectangular eyeglasses while reading the papers. His serious expression gave off a domineering feeling. A real alpha.
'He's already so handsome; how could he upgrade further?!' Lucian tutted, turning his back on Eugene to enter the bathroom. 'So what? I'm handsome too! He's just like that because of his protagonist halo!'
The sound of rushing water echoed in the silent apartment. Mechanical clocks ticked silently as time passed by. Eugene was half-done reading the files when the bathroom door swung open. He raised his eyes to look at the young alpha coming out of it.
Lucian was wearing a white bathrobe, which highlighted his rich and beautiful bronze skin. His black hair was wet; therefore, it stuck to Lucian's forehead and ears. The misty scent of a hot bath emanated from the man.
Two alphas with the other one not wearing a suppressant patch shouldn't be cramped up in one place.
Thus, Eugene had to suppress his instinct to push the younger alpha over the wall and assert his dominance. It was because Lucian's scent was starting to spread all over the room. An alpha marking a place owned by another alpha is considered taboo.
The transmigrator Lucian, who almost forgot about being in an ABO world where scents are important, was ignorant about Eugene's actions. In fact, he even approached him.
Eugene's alpha instincts saw Lucian's movements as a challenge. When the younger man was close enough, Eugene stood up from his seat and grabbed him closer.
Lucian was confused. "What's wrong?"
"You..." Eugene gritted his teeth. "Wear your patch. Your scent is all over the room now."
Lucian was flustered after realizing his mistake. He removed Eugene's hand from his wrist as he ran to the bedroom frantically. "Shit, shit, shit," he cursed under his breath as he shivered in horror.
The expression on Eugene's face at that moment was so scary. It seemed as though he would devour him if he stayed any longer.
Lucian shook his head as he hurriedly applied the patch to the back of his neck after searching for it in his suitcase. How could he forget about something like that?! He was so immersed in feeling refreshed that he forgot to bring a patch with him.
His whole body was flushed red. It was because, aside from the fear of Eugene's presence, there was also something else.
Something like excitement...
'Why am I excited over an angry Eugene Fergus?! Oh my God, I'm going crazy,' Lucian scolded himself as heat crept up his cheeks.
Lo and behold! Eugene, at that time, was indeed so hot and sexy to look at. The furrow of his brows, the gnashing teeth, the tall nose subtly sniffing his pheromones, and the darkened blue eyes staring at him condescendingly. The eyeglasses, too! The glint of it every time the sun's rays passed through... It was so sinister to look at.
Dark Eugene hits differently. He's sure about that.