(3801 words)
Once more, you stand outside his door, flinching at the sudden boom of thunder.
You close your eyes in a sigh, knocking on his door. "It's, uh, Y/N." You say.
His eyes lift from his papers, expression warming slightly. It's you.
"Come in."
Taking yesterday's revelation into account, he really hopes he won't end up acting differently. He wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable in any way, after all.
The door gently pushes open, and he gives a friendly smile. "What can I help you with, Y/N?"
You pause. You'd be lying if you said his voice hadn't nearly made you shiver. He spoke in a low tone, very calm as his words felt velveteen in your ears.
"Honestly..." You rub the back of your neck with an awkward (he'd describe it as charming) grin. "I kinda just wanted to get out of my office and away from the thunder."
He lets out a small chuckle, taking a sip of his tea as his pink-red eyes take you in for a moment. "I can't blame you for it–even if my office is pretty much the same as yours." He lightly teases.
"It's definitely not the same, your office has, well, you." You respond, not noticing how he nearly melts at such a simple, cheesy line as that. "Besides, it cancels out the thunder, and I can talk to you."
His cheeks hold a slight flush–god, he's weak. Is this how crushes are? How love is? Taking in and being taken in by your quirks, mannerisms, everything.
Is it love to wonder how it would feel to cup your face in his hands?
To wonder how bright he could make your smile?
To wonder how free he could make your laugh?
"I'm glad to hear you enjoy my company." He watches how your head tilts as you smile, your hands fidgeting ever so slightly with their fingers. His smile grows gentler as his eyelids droop, eyes finally falling from you back to his paper after an unnoticeable moment. "Feel free to have a seat. You came in at a good time, actually–once I finished this, I was planning on taking my lunch break."
"Looks like we both got a knack for each other's clock, huh?" You comment, tension seeping out of you as you take the seat closest to him, a stool placed no more than two meters out.
"Mhm." His hand lifts to his chin, finger tapping against his lower lip as he tries to focus on his work more than on the man who effortlessly worms his way into the demon's thoughts time and time again.
Looking closely at him, you can see the faint dusting of red over his cheeks, his expression calm and generally welcoming... Why is he so handsome?
You prop your elbow up on your knee, head resting on its palm as your eyes close, missing all of the short, distracted glances Lucien sent your way.
"It's... nice." You hum, him jolting slightly at the sound of your quiet voice. "Your office is so, like, calming. Nothing's too overwhelming, it's all balanced and just... nice."
He could see the smile growing across your face as you spoke, eyes still closed. As his eyes return to his paper, he spins his pen. "Thank you. Your office is far better than mine was when I first started here; it was... not the best."
Your eyes open, focusing on him once more, taking in his profile. "How so?"
"For one, it was bright. There was no personalization, it was just a cold office with cold lights and a frazzled me, still trying to get a handle on things." He laughs wistfully, quietly, and returns to writing. "It took like half a semester to actually settle in and begin improving."
"Interesting. It's hard to imagine such a composed man like you struggling, I can't lie."
His smile widens, and he looks your way, brow raised. "Really?"
"I mean, I'm absolutely sure you can, everyone does, but you seem so sure of yourself all the time. It's actually kinda comforting to be around someone so confident in themselves." You rub the back of your neck slightly nervously.
If only you knew how he thinks when it comes to you.
His smile grows warmer–somehow more handsome–and he returns to working. "I'm glad to hear. You have a similar effect on me, actually."
You pause, feeling your mind practically stop completely.
"You're very gentle from what I've seen. You're composed, but in a... softer way, if that makes sense."
Was that the right thing to say?
Did he mess up already?
He stays outwardly cool, but inside was a storm of insecurity.
"It does, I think. And I'm glad to hear it as well." Your cheeks grow warmer as you smile, voice wobbling in a barely held bashful laugh.
You avert your eyes from him, instead looking over at the small bookcase that sat near the corner. A few spirals and other books reside on its shelves, but what really catches your eye is the maroon colored book with gold lettering along its spine that reads 'Demonology'.
He nearly lets out a relieved sigh. "Great." Signing his name in a neat cursive, he sets the pen down before leaning back in his chair, lacing his fingers together and stretching upwards.
A raspy groan escapes his lips as he does so, head tilting to the side. "Well, that's that for the paperwork."
You mirror him in stretching, feeling the pops from your back. You hadn't even been in the stool for that long, but it seems the slouching still made your back pop.
"Then... lunch?" You ask, watching how he tilts his head back over his chair, smiling in your direction with closed eyes.
Your breath catches in your throat for a moment.
"Lunch." He echoes.
You force your eyes away from him, silently nodding as you try and sort out your jumbled thoughts. Hearing him stand, you follow suit.
This... definitely wasn't just him being charming. There was something else going on, on your side.
You nearly bump into his chest, slowly lifting your head to meet his gaze before taking a step back after realizing how close you were.
"Eh-sorry, uhm-" You briefly stutter, cheeks warming. You don't see how his visage softens at your embarrassed expression, eyes fond.
"It's alright. Distracted, are we?" He tilts his head before leaning against the door, turning the knob and half opening it using his body's weight. He peers out into the empty corridor, seeing the gray sky and no rain. "Seems as though there isn't any rain, just thunder."
A bright flash fills his view, and he quickly shuts the door, barely avoiding the loud boom. He then steps out, looking back at you as you follow him out, still clearly somewhat lost in thought.
He looks both ways, the hall still empty.
"You know..." He begins, your gaze snapping to him. "For the longest time it felt like I was the only one here. Unless students are heading to my or your class or office times, practically no one comes over here. I've had occasional visits, but the halls never bustle with people. With life."
You had never noticed the slightly lonesome nature of this hall; it was beautifully made, near floor to ceiling windows with stone carved into intricate arches and detailing.
It was, in a few words, gorgeous yet cold.
You had never noticed it, and the man at your side was responsible for that.
"Well, then we'll feel like... the only ones here. Together." You grin awkwardly, him finding both it and your words endearing.
"I... I guess so, yeah." He smiles towards you before looking out the window again.
"Have you ever seen a clear day here?" You ask, walking alongside him and joining him in gazing at the clouds.
"A few. Eight, I think? But you'll find more clear skies during the night. Frankly, I'm not the biggest fan of the sun; it's much too bright for my tastes."
"Ahh, I see. The sun is... well, I agree that it's bright, but there are some good days when it's cold outside and the sun is there to warm you. When those days happened where I was before, I would go for walks or just lounge around the house where the sun hit." You tilt your head up, a lazy grin pulling on your lips.
"That sounds great. Unfortunately here, when the sun comes out, it just gets humid." He sighs, running his hand through his hair.
"I can imagine. All the rain definitely isn't good for warmer days." You push open one of the doors, feeling the cool air. It was wet, heavy with unfallen rain, but refreshing against your skin. "One day I'll have to show you."
"I'll eagerly wait for it, then."
He can see how your shoulders droop in the calm sigh you let out, your eyes fluttering closed briefly. When you open them once more, they shift to him.
"Lead the way, would you?" You ask, him nodding in a slightly flustered silence and looking away.
Did you care?
Did you even notice his gaze?
He doesn't know how this all works; would he want you to notice his gaze, to show that he's interested?
You hadn't thought much of his gaze, but the flush and averted eyes caught your attention. Had you done something that would cause that reaction...?
"Oh, can you tell me more about where exactly we're going for lunch?" You ask, looking around at the occasional student or staff member in the distance. They didn't even look your way; you were rather far.
"Well, it's slightly strange." Lucien scratches his cheek, a vaguely embarrassed grin on his lips. "It's a flower shop."
You look towards him in interest, working a brow. As you make it to the campus' edge a moment later, he continues.
"It also functions as a restaurant; that's actually where I get my tea, you see. Their selection of teas are unmatched and made in house." He gains an excited glimmer in his eyes, like a kid showing off their cool toy.
Your smile widens slightly at his expression. "You get your tea from there? Actually, that reminds me; what type of tea do you have? It's really good."
He beams at your interest as you approach the light, him pressing the crosswalk button. "Yep. And the type of tea is actually a custom order; I don't even have to specify which leaves to add because I've been there so much. They know me."
His students in the past were creative with their tea combos; never had he had such a colorfully flavored assortment of drinks as he had then.
"Ooh, cool. I don't think I've ever eaten at a place or just been to a store regularly enough for them to recognize me or my order, unfortunately." You rub the back of your neck, looking up at the red halt signal.
"Should I have owned a store and you came in, I'd have memorized you immediately." His words were spoken so calmly, you nearly didn't process them.
Your face warms up a bit, butterflies forming in your stomach. "I-well, thank you."
He blinks, your gently smiling yet flustered face making his heart skip a beat as he realizes that he caused it. "Of course."
As you both begin to cross, in an effort to calm down a bit, you ask, "Do they have any food, or is it, like, just a flower and tea shop?"
"Oh, they have food, but it's nothing big. Simple things like dumplings or rolls." He answers, spotting the little shop. "They're quite good, I'd definitely recommend the sweet rolls with the tea."
You hum, assuming that Poppy's was the name of the establishment as you get closer.
Little flower decals decorated the corners of windows that displayed other flowers, each sitting on a sill in front of a table. You had glanced at this place on your walks to the campus, but never took the time to actually look at it in detail.
Lucien's eyes skate over your interested expression, finding it cute how you reach out to the glass before retracting your hand so as to not smudge it.
"Definitely a fitting name, gotta say." You murmur, looking up at the sign as you enter.
"That it is; it actually caught me off guard the first time I was here." He admits, pushing open the door and letting you in in front of him.
"Welcome to Poppy's, how are you doing Lucien? I see you have a friend." The woman at the counter smiles with a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes. "That's never happened before."
Lucien rolls his eyes, cheeks warming just the tiniest bit. "Rosemary, don't jump to conclusions."
"Too late." She chirps. She saw that little look he gave you when he opened the door for you; like hell there wasn't something there. "Anyway, moving past the demonerd, what's your name?"
You laugh at her light jabs at the man behind you, holding out a hand. "I'm Y/N, his office neighbor at the college."
Aw, so you weren't even together yet?
She takes your hand, shaking it. "Rosemary. You can call me Rosie if you'd like, I don't mind."
You nod, smiling.
"Now Lime, you want your usual?" She asks, looking up at the demon as he deadpans, but nods.
"Double it, please."
"Lime?" You ask, looking back at him.
His expression almost immediately softens, to which Rosie raises an eyebrow, and he nods. "My hair. It's green, as I'm sure you can see, so Rosemary started calling me that."
He looks off to the side, slightly embarrassed.
"Mhm... well, it fits you, strangely enough." You grin his way, noticing his fluster. "I'll still probably call you Lucien though, for simplicity's sake."
Rosie looks between you two before shrugging, turning around and beginning to prepare the order. Yeah, it's really only a matter of time.
"Much appreciated." The demon sighs, lips pulling up.
"Alright, I'm preparing your things, so feel free to take a seat." The dark-haired woman dismisses you, Lucien walking over to a booth in the back.
"This is where I normally sit." He says, briefly gauging your reaction.
"Nice view." You hum, glancing at him and then out the window as you take a seat opposite to him.
He hums, a gentle smile on his face. "Oh, I should ask; did you know of the Fall party coming up? It's next Friday."
"The school's throwing a Fall party?" You ask, tilting your head as amusement slips into your eyes.
"Yeah, they have a couple of them. Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer; just the basic seasons." He explains. "But both students and staff are there."
"Do you plan on going?" You ask, curious. Him going would probably be what decided if you would or not.
"Well I haven't missed one yet, so I'd like to keep that streak." He answers. "The parties are pretty fancy, and formalwear is definitely required."
"Well... which is your favorite?"
He blinks owlishly. "Huh?"
"Which season's party do you like the most?" You reiterate, watching how his head tilts down, hand grasping his chin and tapping at his lip in thought.
He looks to the side, expression softening visibly. "...Probably Winter. They hang lights up all around campus and encourage everyone to wander–it's more of a festival than a party, at least with Winter."
You hum, interested. "Does Winter have less rain?"
"Yes, definitely. Much less rain. It's still cloudy during the day, but at night it clears up a lot, and if it doesn't, it may even snow." He can see how you light up at the word, almost wishing it was closer to Winter so he won't have to wait to see your reaction to the snow.
"I see... I can tell why it's your favorite, then." You rub the back of your neck, lips pulled into a slightly awkward grin. "Even if I haven't experienced it yet, if it's anything like how you described it, I have a feeling it'll be my favorite too."
"I've never not enjoyed my time at the Winter party." His expression is as warm as his cheeks are. "There's always plenty of baked goods made fresh for it. The other parties are just that–parties–but a lot of people pitch in for the Winter one, as it often ends in wandering the streets looking at the lights instead of the campus. The whole area kinda pitches in for it."
Your chin rests on your palm as you listen to him talk, able to see how he enjoys the party. "It seems like a great time."
"It definitely is." He pauses for a moment. "Do you plan on going? T-to the Fall one, I mean."
"Yeah, probably. If you will I will, seeing as you're, like, the only one I know." You let out a weak chuckle, perking up as the tan woman places down your drinks and a medium sized plate with sweet rolls on top.
"I guess I am, huh?" He lets out a small laugh as Rosemary discreetly glances between you two.
"Enjoy your food." Her words were slightly clipped as she wanders back behind the counter, leading to Lucien's slightly concerned glance her way.
She responds with a grin.
Smelling the still-steaming tea, you let out a blissful sigh, eyes closing.
The demon in front of you can't help but admire your serene face, feeling at peace as he lifts the cup to his lips and averts his gaze to the window.
You open your eyes to the quiet sound of taps on the ground outside. Looking out the window, you see the rain begin.
"Oh." You murmur. "We... probably should've brought our umbrellas, huh?"
"Looks like it." He runs his hand through his hair as you look down at your cup with the sound of rattling porcelain.
"An earthquake..." You mumble, looking up at the man across from you for slight solace as your fingers fidget with each other.
"Seems it." His completely calm attitude in turn calms you down, and you finally take a sip of tea, also grabbing a sweet roll.
Continuing to look out the window, you feel yourself drift into the zone, surveying the street as it gets drenched by rain. "Let's hope it calms down, eh?"
"Let's."
╫
Standing by the tall man's side, you look out at the road from underneath the small overhang.
"This... isn't looking good for us." You say, him nodding exasperatedly.
"That it isn't. How do you say we get back to campus?" He asks, looking towards your scheming form. You were in thought, not able to see how he drank in your features like it was the first and last time he would see you.
"Honestly, I haven't the slightest. There's only one option I can see here, unfortunately." You shrug, looking to him for anything else.
"Yeah, I can't think of anything either." He taps his lip before sighing. "Seems running is the only option."
"Damn, we really should've brought an umbrella... Well, what's done is done." You watch the light, only wanting to move when you know you can avoid being stuck at the button. "We should probably start running... now."
You take off from underneath the canopy, him following soon after and laughing at how you spam the button. The pedestrian crossing sign lights up, and he feels his heart skip a beat as you grasp his hand, running with him in tow.
One of your arms hangs over your face, trying fruitlessly to keep it dry as you run.
Lucien's hand is warm in yours.
His cheeks become stained with pink, spreading over his ears as he holds your hand firmly, running by your side. Your hand holding his...
His eyes soften as they move over to your form. His hand holding yours.
The rain pounds against his skin, reminding him of why you had grabbed his hand in the first place.
"Damn, it's really pouring down!" He hops onto the curb after you, nearly stumbling.
"Really? Hadn't noticed!" You laugh, sending him a bright grin over your shoulder.
He can't help the affectionate smile that crosses his lips. You're ...
God, you're beautiful. He doesn't think he'll need the sun, not when you're around.
"Just wanted to let you know!" He responds, letting out a few short laughs of his own.
You both run across the stone path that got you into your building, not seeing nor caring about the stares you got for being out in the downpour.
It only takes a moment to burst into the doors, hands slipping away from each other as you both reel from the run, you laying on your back as you feel how your clothes stick to you.
He hunches over, hands on his knees as he pulls off his soaked overcoat, letting it hit the ground as he pants.
You both glance at each other, meeting each other's gaze. A smile grows on your face before you face the other way at the same time as him, small, tired laughs escaping you both.
As you calm down from your small fit, you stare up at the ceiling, spirits high. "You know, next time, I think we should make sure that even if it's not raining, we bring an umbrella."
Next time? You wanted a next time?
"Hard agree." He says, letting out a sigh as he stands up straight, gathering his coat in his arms before looking over at you. You seem tranquil, or rather just like you're enjoying yourself.
He looks over you once more, cheeks flaring briefly as he notices how your clothes clung to your form.
Walking over, he leans over you and tries to ignore what he just saw. "Want some help?"
"Please." Reaching a hand up, he once again grasps it as he pulls you up, noting your rather small proximity to him. You take a step back, not noticing how his hand hesitates to move from where he had to release yours.
"Y'know, even if we both got rained on..." You rub the back of your neck, feeling your cheeks warm just a bit. "...I really enjoyed lunch. We definitely need to go out again."
He brightens, practically radiating a kind of blinding handsome warmth. He runs a hand through his wet, disheveled locks of hair, slightly bashful.
"I can firmly say I feel the exact same."
Your resulting smile left him feeling a warm, fluttering feeling in his stomach.
He hasn't ever felt like this towards someone, but he...
He very much doubts he'll end up regretting having these feelings for you.