CHAPTER 27: THE SCENT

Cassian’s throat felt dry, words tangling somewhere between honesty and panic.

Leonel’s gaze was fixed on him steady, sharp, and far too perceptive for comfort.

He hesitated, forcing a small laugh, trying to sound casual. "No one," he said quickly, grabbing a tray and turning away to hide his face. "Just the counter lady helped me pick out some of the meat and stuff. Took forever ’cause she wouldn’t stop recommending cuts."

The lie tumbled out smoother than he expected, but his pulse betrayed him fast, jittery, pounding in his ears.

Leonel didn’t respond right away. He just watched, the flickering orange light from the grill reflecting in his eyes. His jaw tightened briefly, but he said nothing. Instead, he flipped a few pieces of meat, the sizzling sound breaking the uneasy silence.

Cassian pretended not to notice. He busied himself, grabbing the sauces from the kitchen and setting them on the side table, trying to keep his hands steady. Don’t look nervous. Don’t look suspicious. He repeated it in his head like a prayer.

When he disappeared inside to grab another tray, Aiden finally turned toward Leonel. "Alright, what’s that look for?" he asked quietly, watching Leonel’s expression shift between irritation and thought.

Leonel didn’t look up as he answered, his voice low. "I feel like... Cassian met Lucian."

Aiden froze. "What?"

Leonel finally glanced at him, the muscle in his jaw twitching slightly. "I’m not certain," he said, tone clipped, "but there was a scent. A perfume."

Aiden frowned. "Perfume?"

Leonel nodded slowly, his eyes flicking toward the door Cassian had gone through. "Lucian’s been wearing the same one since he was a teenager. He imported it from France or something ridiculous like that. There’s only one scent like it mild citrus, amber base, faint musk. He’s obsessed with it."

Aiden crossed his arms, studying Leonel. "You could’ve smelled that anywhere, you know. Maybe someone at the store -"

"It wasn’t anyone at the store." Leonel cut in sharply. "It was on him."

That silenced Aiden.

The soft crackle of fire filled the air between them. The smell of grilling meat mixed with the faint scent Leonel was describing, and for a moment, both men stood in quiet tension.

Leonel flipped another skewer, eyes dark. "Lucian’s been unpredictable lately. If he’s already approached Cassian..." He trailed off, jaw tightening. "That’s not good."

Before Aiden could reply, Cassian stepped back outside, a bottle of sauce in one hand and an awkwardly bright smile on his face. "Hey! So, um, I got the chili and soy sauce—" He paused mid-step, sensing the weird air between them. "What’s with the silence? Did someone burn the food?"

Aiden immediately masked his expression, smiling easily. "Nah, just talking about the perfect way to flip the meat."

Cassian narrowed his eyes suspiciously but decided not to pry. "Right..."

Leonel’s expression had softened again, his usual half-smile returning. He handed Cassian a pair of tongs. "Here. You’re on turning duty. Don’t burn my hard work."

Cassian blinked, then smiled relieved. "Sir, yes sir."

The tension melted, at least on the surface.

After a few minutes of cooking in silence, Cassian clapped his hands together. "Sooo, shall we drink some beer?" His voice was cheerful again, the earlier unease hidden behind a grin.

Leonel immediately said, "Yes."

Aiden, just as quickly, said, "No."

They turned to glare at each other in perfect sync.

Cassian blinked, caught in the crossfire. "...What?"

Aiden exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "We’re not drinking. The last time alcohol was involved, certain people couldn’t keep their lips to themselves." His gaze flicked between them, meaningful.

Leonel smirked. "What, afraid you’ll lose again?"

Aiden shot him a look. "I’m afraid of having to babysit two idiots if things go south again."

Cassian, cheeks already pink, tried to cut in. "Okay, okay no beer, got it. Let’s just eat before it gets cold, yeah?"

The banter eased slightly, replaced by the clinking of plates and the warm, savory aroma of food. Leonel served Cassian first of course and Aiden didn’t miss the way Cassian’s ears went red when their fingers brushed.

Dinner went surprisingly well after that. Between teasing, laughter, and the occasional sarcastic comment, it almost felt like the tension from earlier had dissolved. Leonel and Aiden fell into their usual rhythm arguing about who cooked better while Cassian sat between them, laughing so hard his stomach hurt.

But even as he smiled, a sliver of guilt twisted in Cassian’s chest.

Lucian’s smirk flashed in his mind. The feel of his fingers around his wrist. The way he’d said "Pay me back with your time."

Cassian’s fork hesitated halfway to his mouth. He quickly forced a grin when Leonel glanced at him. "This is really good," he said too quickly, shoving another bite in to hide the wobble in his voice.

Aiden leaned back, eyes half-lidded. "Not bad, huh? Told you Leonel wasn’t completely useless."

"Wow," Leonel said dryly, "thanks for the confidence boost."

Cassian laughed, the sound lighter now. The three of them talked and joked until the stars appeared overhead, tiny glimmers reflecting off their plates and the faint shimmer of the grill.

By the time they cleaned up, it was nearly midnight. The night air had grown cool, and the once playful chatter had turned into quiet exhaustion.

"Alright," Aiden yawned, stretching, "I’m calling it. I’m dead tired."

"Same," Cassian agreed, stacking plates. "That food hit harder than I expected."

Leonel chuckled softly, glancing at them. "Goodnight, then. Try not to dream about me too much."

Cassian rolled his eyes, cheeks pink. "You wish."

But as he headed toward his room, his smile faded. His mind wasn’t filled with Leonel’s teasing grin anymore.

It was Lucian’s voice low, dangerous, whispering against the back of his mind.

Pay me by your time later.

Cassian crawled into bed, pulling the blanket up to his chin. His heart was still uneasy, beating in irregular waves. He wanted to believe the night would end peacefully. That the laughter they shared tonight wasn’t just the calm before another storm.

But as he closed his eyes, the faint scent of that same cologne lingered on his sleeve—musk, citrus, and something darker.

And somewhere in the distance, a single text pinged on Leonel’s phone.

From: Lucian.

"You should really keep a closer eye on your friends, brother."

Leonel’s smile faded instantly.

Leonel’s fingers hovered over his phone screen for a long second before he finally typed:

Leonel : "Did you meet Cassian?"

The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.

Then Lucian’s reply came through sharp and teasing, exactly how Leonel hated it.

Lucian : "Judging by your question... you’re not sure, right? But you suspect."

"How cute."

"I’m not telling you right now."

Leonel’s jaw tightened. His thumb flew over the keyboard.

Leonel : "Stop playing games, Lucian."

No response. The screen stayed silent.

He stared at it for a while, irritation simmering in his chest, until he finally tossed the phone onto his bed. His pulse thudded in his ears as he paced the room once before his gaze drifted to the door across the hall Cassian’s room.

The light was off, faint moonlight brushing across the doorframe.

Leonel stood there for a long moment, his thoughts tangled. "Why won’t you just tell me clearly..." he muttered under his breath, fingers curling into a fist.

He turned away sharply and went back into his room, the quiet click of his door echoing faintly in the dark.

Morning sunlight spilled into the living room, soft golden light cutting through the lingering tension of the previous night.

Aiden was already downstairs, humming as he flipped pancakes on the pan, the smell of butter and coffee filling the air. Cassian wandered in first, hair messy, wearing one of Leonel’s oversized shirts.

"Morning," Cassian mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, zombie," Aiden replied, smirking. "You sleep okay?"

Cassian shrugged, grabbing a cup of coffee. "Define ’okay.’"

Leonel came down a few minutes later, buttoning the cuff of his white shirt, looking sharp as always but his expression was unreadable. He greeted them both quietly and sat down, scrolling through his phone as if the night’s messages didn’t still sting.

Breakfast was light pancakes, eggs, and a few jokes here and there but the air felt different. Leonel kept glancing at Cassian, studying him as if trying to read something on his face. Cassian, completely unaware, laughed softly at something Aiden said, the sunlight catching the faint glint of silver in his hair.

Leonel’s jaw clenched. He looks too calm... too normal.

After breakfast, they grabbed their things and headed out together, the morning wind cool against their faces. Cassian walked between Aiden and Leonel, talking about a project due next week, his tone easy and cheerful.

But the moment they reached the university gate, all three of them froze.

Lucian was standing there.

Leaning casually against one of the stone pillars, dressed in black, sunglasses perched on his head. His white hair glowed under the sun, his smirk lazy but deliberate.

"Oh, hell no," Aiden muttered under his breath.

Leonel’s entire body stiffened. His hand instinctively brushed Cassian’s arm, a subtle but protective gesture.

Lucian’s gaze flicked up and landed straight on Cassian.

"Hey, Cassian," he drawled, voice low, smooth, and far too familiar. "How are you?"