CHAPTER 26: PAY WITH YOUR TIME

Lucian’s fingers brushed off invisible dust from his palm, his smirk lazy but sharp. "So..." he drawled, looking at the grocery bag Cassian was clutching. "Having a barbecue feast, I suppose?"

Cassian laughed nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Y–yeah, just... mood, I guess."

Lucian’s eyes flickered, amused. "That’s great," he said casually. Then, after a beat, his lips curved into something softer almost wistful. "Wish I was in your university too. Would’ve loved to crash that barbeque of yours."

Cassian’s first instinct was to respond politely You can come if you want because that’s just how he was built. Too kind. Too reflexively accommodating.

But his brain caught up fast.

No. Nope. Anything but that.

Lucian and Leonel in the same space again? That was asking for disaster.

So instead, Cassian forced a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, uh, it’s... it’s gonna be fun." He turned quickly, heading toward the counter before his mouth could betray him.

Lucian followed behind, his footsteps unhurried, predatory in their calmness. "So," he said, voice light but probing, "I assume you live nearby?"

Cassian didn’t look back. "Yeah. Just in a big... mansion. Weird dorm system, actually."

Lucian let out a low chuckle. "Ah, I see. The high-class one with five rooms?"

Cassian nodded, paying more attention to the meat in his arms than to Lucian’s tone.

"Leonel used to stay in one of those too," Lucian continued smoothly, tilting his head as if reminiscing. "Guess it was the other side from here."

Cassian’s chest tightened. So he knows where Leonel lives. Of course he does. He stayed quiet, walking faster until they reached the counter.

The lady behind the register smiled politely. "That’ll be fifty dollars."

Cassian blinked, fishing for his wallet. "Fifty? Oh wow, I did buy a lot..." he said, laughing a little.

Lucian leaned one elbow on the counter, eyes glinting. "You sure did. Planning to feed an army?"

Cassian smiled despite himself. "More like feeding two troublemakers and myself."

He opened his wallet, pulling out the cash but before he could hand it over, a warm hand slid right past his arm.

"I’m paying for him," Lucian said easily.

Cassian froze. "Wait -no, I can -"

The woman had already taken the card and started billing before he could finish. Cassian turned to Lucian, flustered. "No, seriously, you’re not even gonna eat this! Let me pay!"

Lucian’s gaze flicked to him, the corners of his lips curving. He took Cassian’s hand gently, deliberately, fingers grazing his skin and leaned just a bit closer.

"Oh, come on, bunny," he murmured, voice low enough that the cashier pretended not to hear. "Let me do this much."

Cassian’s breath hitched. He could feel the heat of Lucian’s touch, the faint scrape of his thumb tracing over his knuckles. For a heartbeat too long, neither of them moved.

Then Cassian jerked his hand back, face burning. "Y-you -just don’t -ugh" He turned to the counter, desperate to focus on anything else.

The lady handed him the bag, cheerful as ever. "All done, dear."

Cassian muttered a thanks, avoiding Lucian’s smug grin as he grabbed the grocery bag and practically bolted out of the store.

Of course, Lucian followed.

Outside, the evening breeze carried the faint scent of grilled food from nearby stalls. Cassian stopped under the store’s awning, setting the bag down for a moment. "Okay, listen thank you, but I can’t let you pay for me," he said quickly, pulling out a fifty from his wallet and holding it toward Lucian.

Lucian just looked at the money, then back at Cassian, one brow arching in quiet amusement. "You really hate owing people, huh?"

"It’s not that," Cassian said, trying not to fidget. "I just don’t like people doing things for me when they don’t have to."

Lucian’s smirk softened into something harder to read. "You’re too earnest for your own good."

"Just take it," Cassian insisted.

Lucian stepped closer instead. His eyes gleamed under the streetlight, a silver reflection against his pale hair. Slowly, he reached out not for the money, but for Cassian’s hand holding it.

Cassian tensed as Lucian’s fingers wrapped around his wrist, the touch firm but not rough.

Then Lucian lowered his head and pressed his lips to the back of Cassian’s hand.

Cassian’s mind blanked.

The warmth of that brief kiss sent a sharp, unsteady pulse through his chest. And before he could even react, Lucian’s tongue flicked just barely a teasing brush against his skin.

Cassian jolted. "Wh-what the hell - !"

Lucian’s smirk returned, wolfish and infuriatingly calm. He let go of Cassian’s hand with the kind of arrogance only someone like him could pull off.

"Pay me with your time later," he said, voice smooth as silk.

Cassian stared, his entire face flushed scarlet. "Wha -no! Absolutely not!"

Lucian laughed softly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Think about it, bunny. I’m not hard to find."

He turned, walking down the dimly lit street with that effortless confidence that made people look twice. The wind picked up, carrying his faint cologne and the quiet sound of his boots against pavement.

Cassian stood there frozen, heart pounding far too fast for his liking. He could still feel the phantom warmth of Lucian’s lips on his skin, still see that smirk burned behind his eyelids.

He looked down at his hand shiny, faintly red from embarrassment and groaned into his sleeve. "He’s insufferable," he muttered. "Why does he have to be so... so—ugh!"

He grabbed the bag again, gripping it like it was a lifeline, and started walking back toward the dorm. His thoughts were a chaotic mess: Leonel’s going to kill him if he finds out. Aiden will protect him like a bodyguard and give a lecture to death. And Lucian... Lucian will never let him live this down.

Halfway down the street, his phone buzzed. A message from Aiden popped up.

Aiden: "Did you get lost or something? Leonel’s already fighting me over who should go look for you💀 hurry up"

Cassian stared at the screen, then typed back quickly:

Cassian: "On my way. just... got caught up. Long story."

He shoved the phone in his pocket and walked faster.

The sun had dipped below the horizon now, the city lights flickering awake one by one. Everything looked the same but Cassian knew nothing about this night was ordinary anymore.

Somewhere behind him, in the shadows, Lucian lingered for a few moments longer, watching him disappear down the street.

His smirk returned, faint but knowing. "Still as easy to fluster as ever," he murmured to himself.

Then he turned and walked away, the sound of his footsteps fading into the hum of the evening.

Cassian reached the house just as the warm glow of dusk spread across the sky, painting the edges of the mansion in soft amber light. The scent of smoke and spice hung faintly in the air Aiden and Leonel were already outside, crouched near the grill in the yard.

For once, they weren’t bickering. No playful insults. No territorial tension. Just quiet concentration as they worked side by side, the flicker of firelight dancing across their faces.

Cassian blinked in surprise. Huh... they’re actually getting along.

He smiled as he pushed open the gate. "Well, well," he called out, teasingly. "Someone’s pretty in sync. That’s new to see."

Aiden turned, tongs in hand, and gave him a grin. "Look who finally made it."

Leonel straightened, brushing his hands on his jeans. "Ahh, you’re back," he said, his smile easy and strangely fond.

Cassian lifted the grocery bags proudly. "Yesss ! and I got a lotttt of meat."

Aiden peered into the bag, eyebrows rising. "That’s... a lot."

Cassian laughed. "Well, I figured since you both eat like wolves, I’d better stock up."

He moved closer, kneeling beside Leonel as he started placing the meat onto plates. The warm air from the grill hit his face, carrying the savory scent of sizzling spice. For a moment, everything felt normal almost peaceful.

But then Leonel’s hand stilled.

Cassian didn’t notice at first, humming softly as he organized the cuts by size. Then Leonel’s voice cut through the quiet, low and oddly cautious.

"Hey..."

Cassian looked up. "Yeah?"

Leonel’s gaze was steady, sharper than before. His eyes trailed briefly over Cassian’s face his flushed cheeks, his still slightly messy hair, and finally, his hand as it set down the last pack of meat.

"Did you..." Leonel hesitated for a second, something unreadable flickering in his expression. "Did you meet someone?"

Cassian froze.

The air seemed to thicken, the soft crackle of the grill suddenly too loud in the silence that followed.

"What?" he said, a little too quickly. "What do you mean?"

Leonel’s lips curved just slightly. Not quite a smile. Not quite suspicion. "Your face is red," he said lightly, though his tone held a strange edge. "And this perfume ... you smell like..." He leaned forward, just a fraction, nose twitching faintly before he caught himself. "...like someone familiar who wears this perfume all his life."

Cassian’s breath hitched. He took a tiny step back, fingers curling tightly around the edge of the plate.

Aiden glanced between them, eyebrow raised, sensing the shift in tension. "Wait, what’s going on?"

Cassian swallowed, his heartbeat picking up. "N-nothing. I just -uh -took a bit longer than expected."

Leonel didn’t look convinced. His eyes lingered, that easy smile fading into something colder, calculating. "Is that so?" he murmured.

Cassian opened his mouth to respond-

but his voice caught in his throat when Leonel leaned in a little closer, his tone soft but heavy with meaning.

"Because if it’s who I think it is..." he said, eyes narrowing just slightly, "we might have a problem."