The corridor outside Lucien's dorm was almost unnervingly quiet. The hum of the Academy's life had faded, leaving only the faint pulse of Riftlight sneaking in through the tall windows. Ren lingered just beyond the threshold, chest tight, royal blue eyes fixed on the polished door. His fingers fidgeted with the strap of his satchel, twisting it again and again, as if the motion could anchor his racing thoughts.
Lucien's voice drifted from within, low and careful. "Come in."
Ren swallowed and stepped inside. The dorm was immaculate. Clean lines, polished floors, minimal furniture—everything deliberately arranged. Shadows curled along the corners of the room, coiling like liquid smoke, almost aware, almost sentient, yet holding back at Lucien's command. Alone, the space felt less like perfection and more like a sanctuary. Dangerous in its intimacy.
"You… wanted to see me," Ren said, voice teasing but layered with a pulse of nervous energy, trying to mask the quick flutter beneath his chest. His royal blue eyes met Lucien's very light brown eyes, and he felt that pull again—the one he never could quite name.
Lucien didn't answer immediately. He was perched on the edge of a low chair, elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped. For a long moment, he didn't speak, staring at the floor with an intensity that made the shadows twitch around him. Ren could feel the weight of something he rarely showed—an exhaustion that even Eidros couldn't fully mask.
"I…" Lucien began, voice low, careful, almost hesitant. "Most people see me as… untouchable. Golden boy. Perfect. But it's exhausting. Always performing. Always holding back… controlling Eidros. Everyone expects me to be calm, precise, untouchable. Sometimes… I just want to be allowed to falter."
Ren's pulse throbbed beneath his skin, warmth threading through him. He could feel the tension radiating off Lucien in subtle ways—the faint quiver in his shoulders, the way shadows curved protectively but reluctantly, the weight in his voice.
"You don't have to pretend with me," Ren said quietly, his voice teasing but soft. "I'm not most people."
Lucien's lips twitched faintly at that, a ghost of a smile tugging at his features. The shadows seemed to lean closer, not to restrain Ren but as if curious. "I know," he murmured. "That's… why I wanted you here."
Ren raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly, trying to mask the fluttering warmth in his chest. "Flattery now? Or is this just… a romantic therapy session?"
Lucien's very light brown eyes flicked toward him, the barest trace of humor in their depth. "Neither," he said softly. "Just… honesty. Something rare for me."
Ren let his teasing fade slightly, letting the tension settle between them. "Good to know, then. Lucky me, I guess. You finally trust someone enough to not be untouchable."
Lucien's gaze softened further, shadows coiling lightly around Ren's feet, protective but careful not to touch. "It's… easier to focus when you're here. Not just on the pulse… but… everything."
Ren's chest tightened, heat pooling low in his stomach. He leaned forward slightly, teasing edge returning, masking the growing intensity. "So… I'm your private stabilizer? That's… flattering."
Lucien's lips twitched faintly. Shadows pulsed with the rhythm of Ren's energy. "A little of both," he admitted softly. "I… I feel steadied when you're here. And that terrifies me."
Ren's pulse throbbed harder beneath his skin, warmth threading through him. He leaned slightly closer, letting his teasing deepen, soft and quiet. "Terrified, huh? Sounds like you're admitting you need me."
Lucien's gaze lingered, very light brown eyes darkening ever so slightly. He exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair, hands brushing over his knees. "Perhaps," he admitted. "I… need something I can't show anyone else. Something human. Something real."
Ren's chest ached. The intimacy, the rare openness, the rhythm of the shadows threading with his pulse—it was dizzying, intoxicating. He forced himself to stay calm, teasing softly again. "Then you've got me. Private sessions only. No interruptions. Just… us and shadows."
Lucien's lips curved into a small, genuine smile, the shadows softening, coiling gently around Ren like tendrils of quiet understanding. "Good. I like that."
Ren shifted slightly, testing the proximity, letting his pulse thread outward without touching Lucien. "You know," he murmured, voice low, "this is nice. Just… nice. And not because of training."
Lucien's very light brown eyes softened even further, almost startled. "I… I've never felt like this before," he admitted. "Not… this close to anyone. Not with Eidros. Not with anyone else. And it scares me. That maybe… I'm letting someone in. Someone I shouldn't."
Ren's breath caught. He leaned just a fraction closer, pulse weaving faintly in tandem with Lucien's. "Then don't think of it as letting someone in," he whispered, voice teasing but tender. "Think of it as… choosing to stay."
Lucien's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say more but couldn't. Shadows shifted softly, brushing the edges of Ren's boots, protective, intimate. He leaned forward slightly, just enough that Ren could feel the faint warmth radiating from him.
"I… I trust you," Lucien said finally, voice barely above a whisper. "That… terrifies me more than anything."
Ren's chest tightened, pulse quickening. He let his teasing edge slip into something softer, more genuine. "Then you'd better get used to me being here. Not leaving. Not now."
Lucien's very light brown eyes softened into something almost fragile, almost… hopeful. "Good," he whispered. "I want that."
The room fell quiet. Not awkwardly. Not tense. But charged—shadows, pulse, awareness, and the fragile intimacy threading between them. Outside, the Rift pulsed faintly, jagged and hungry, but in Lucien's dorm, there was only this—Ren, Lucien, and the quiet merging of light, shadow, and pulse.
Ren's heart thudded, chest tight, pulse warm and steady. And he realized, almost frighteningly, that he didn't want this moment to end.