Lucien & Cameron Short Story (Patreon)

(Another shared commission for the wait lol!)

“Are you so serious right now?” Cameron groans, ducking back into the door of Robinson Hall, “This cannot be legal.”

“I don’t think they care if it’s legal,” You say, peeking around to get an eyeful of flashing cameras and waving hands just outside the door, “I think they just care about their next headline.”

Lucien’s hands are twisted in the straps of his messenger bag, eyeing the lights that ricochet off the glass wearily. If there’s one thing he hates, it’s the paparazzi. You’re rather inclined to agree.

Cam huffs, leaning against the wall, “So, how do we get back to the dorms without them mobbing us?”

Other students pass, giving the three of you odd looks. Cam and Lucien shift closer together out of habit to block you from sight.

“I can call Vik, Theo, and Charlie,” You say, “But if I do that, there’s probably going to be multiple things set on fire.”

Lucien looks incredibly tired, “Or people.”

Cam shudders, “Ugh, please keep your guard dogs out of this for now.”

“Then how do you plan on keeping your face out of tomorrow's gossip rags?” You ask, “They seem pretty determined.”

Lucien shifts, then, eyes flicking between the two of you hesitantly, “How… comfortable…are you both with being in close quarters?”

Eyes going from Lucien to you and then back once or twice more, Cameron grins slightly, “I’m totally cool with it.”

The nephilim grimaces, shooting him a glare, as you tilt your head in confusion.

“What do you mean by close quarters?” You ask, crossing your arms across your chest.

Lucien spreads his wings, the size of them able to encompass both of you fully…if you’re pressed closely against his side. Your heart stutters at the thought.

You shift your weight from foot to foot, “I guess. We don’t exactly have many options.”

If you thought you got weird looks before, it’s only because you hadn’t yet seen the double takes of people happening across this odd scene. Cam is already shielded by one wing, pressed firmly into Lucien’s side without hesitation. You’re a bit more tentative in comparison.

You step into the nephilim’s personal space and remember the last time you were this close to him, you were still in boarding school…you were still the Chosen One, for that matter.

You scoot closer until his wing can wrap around your body like a shield. Lucien looks incredibly awkward throughout the entire process, not looking you or Cam in the eye and keeping his head ducked down as you all stumble out the doors.

From there, it’s chaos.

The three of you end up clinging to each other out of necessity. You forget all your reservations regarding the proximity almost immediately. You wrap an arm around Lucien’s waist when you nearly tumble forward out of your feathery cocoon, and he grips you tightly to his side in response.

Feet pound against the blacktop as you all dash toward the dorms, screams and camera flashes echoing behind you. You stumble through the doors and race up the stairs, still holding onto each other, not bothering to pause and look at the gawking audience found in the common area.

Once you reach your mercifully empty hallway, the three of you stop to catch your breath. You unconsciously lean on the hard surface at your side to rest before realizing quickly that it’s Lucien you’re leaning on.

You suck in a sharp breath, pulling away so fast you nearly trip. He lets you go easily, but his hand hovers in the air for a few moments like he’s reaching out for you, like he wants to pull you closer again.

Cam’s curly head pokes out of a flurry of white feathers, looking concerned, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” You say, voice rough with adrenaline, “Nothing is wrong. I’ll just…head to my room.”

Where Lucien might have been hesitant in pulling you back, Cameron is decidedly not. His eyes widen as you drift further away, and he darts out from under the wing he’d been hiding in. He grabs your arm loosely, looking entirely too similar to a kicked puppy.

“You could come back to our dorm,” The sorcerer suggests, “Decompress. We can do alchemy homework, and Lucien can break out that fancy ice cream he loves.”

Lucien blinks, momentarily distracted as he sends Cam a dry look, “Gelato.”

“Gel-what?” Cameron blinks, glancing away from you to send the nephilim a confused look.

“How were you the salutatorian?” Lucien sighs.

Cam’s face sours, “Don’t remind me.”

“It’s called gelato, not fancy ice cream.” The nephilim continues, ignoring Cameron’s comment, “You should know.”

“I don’t pay attention to the container.” He shrugs in response, “I just eat it in the middle of the night and gaslight you into thinking you did it the next morning.”

Lucien turns away, visibly counting down from ten. Cam gives you a wide smile when you laugh.

“So,” He reaches out again, shaking his fingers to encourage you to take it, “Our dorm?”

You wrap your hand in his warm one, the thrum of electricity brushing against you as it always does. Cameron’s magic is potent, rolling off him in waves. You used to hate the feeling.

You grip his hand tighter. You’ll admit, if only to yourself, that you’ve grown rather fond of it over the past few months. You associate it with soft touches and even softer sweaters, doe-eyed looks and kind smiles. It’s Cameron, through and through.

“Okay,” You agree.

Lucien lingers a bit off to the side, but his wings brush your arm as you head for their dorm. You know firsthand how being enveloped in him feels now, and don’t think you’ll ever be able to forget it.