Mr. Love: Queen's Choice One Shots

Lucien: Lessons

⚠️ WARNING: Talk of murder and suicide. Adult language is used.
—
(Your P.O.V.)
Oh, shit.
I awoke to a hand on my shoulder. I shot up, looking directly into the eyes of the assistant professor. His violet eyes looked at me with concern before he quickly passed me, moving on. He continued lecturing, and I quickly jotted down notes to make up for my few minutes of sleep.
The class ended and I packed up my things. Anna, my best friend and roommate, nudged me. "I can't believe you fell asleep during Professor Lucien's presentation!" she hissed.
I couldn't help it. I had two jobs on top of going to college. I was the sole source of income for myself, and I couldn't just not work. They would kick me out of the university if I didn't pay the tuition. I sighed heavily and turned to her. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to."
Anna frowned. "I didn't hear you come back until three last night. Was it rough again?"
I nodded. "It's alright, Anna. I'll apologize to the professor and then go to my next class. No biggie."
I went over to Professor Lucien, who was shifting papers on the desk. He saw me approach and raised his head, the sunlight catching a few locks of his black hair.
"I'm really sorry for falling asleep," I said, bowing. "It won't happen again, sir."
Lucien frowned. "I sure hope not. I'll be here the rest of the week." He glanced at my small figure, his frown deepening. "I don't want to be the reason you get kicked out of the science department."
I nodded, heeding his warning. "I understand." I left the room.
Anna saw Professor Lucien interact with me and felt her anger rise. She walked over to him. "Professor, can I have a moment of your time?" she asked.
The professor smiled. "Certainly. What can I do for you?"
"Please go easy on (your name)."
Professor Lucien paused. He turned to Anna. "Excuse me?"
Anna frowned. "I've known (your name) since high school. She lost her parents in a horrible way. Her father murdered her mother and then killed himself. She was only 16." She shook her head. "She doesn't like anybody knowing that."
Lucien remembered the news. He had read up on the case. He had even spoken to the female researcher during his middle school years. He was in the States finishing high school when that happened. He remembered it clear as day; the news shook him.
"But she's been on her own since that day. She finished high school and wanted to pursuit science like her mother. So she came here. She's working two jobs currently and rarely gets home before midnight every night. She only gets a few hours of sleep a night, if that." Anna looked away. "Professor, she really has a passion for science. Truly, she does. Please don't mistake her tiredness for boredom."
Lucien looked at Anna. He had no clue that I had gone through all of that. He rubbed his chin and sighed. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. Thank you."
Anna smiled and went to leave. "Oh, and Professor? Don't tell her that I said anything about this. She would kill me."
Lucien smiled. He sat back down at the desk and ruffled through the papers. He eventually looked out the window and sighed heavily. He had no clue what to think.
I didn't arrive home until three that night. I spent the rest of the night finishing my work for the day of classes ahead. Yawning, Anna and I walked to class. I walked into the class and the two of us sat at our usual spots.
"Good morning," I heard Professor Lucien say as he shut the door to the classroom. I clicked my pen and opened my notebook to my notes, ready to pay attention to the lecture.
It seemed to drone on for hours, despite the class only being an hour and a half. Lucien made it easy to understand, but the subject matter at hand was stuff I already knew. Eventually, the class was over. I packed my things up, ready to go with Anna to the next class. Professor Lucien paused and watched me for a minute before saying my name. I jumped.
"Can you stay with me for a minute? I need to talk to you."
I nodded. Anna left the class but stayed right outside the door. I watched her leave before turning to Lucien. "Did I do something wrong, Professor?"
Lucien frowned. "No, no. I'm not here to reprimand you. I'm going to offer my support to you." He handed me a small envelope. I looked at it and opened it. There was a check with a large number—the exact amount of my tuition.
I stared at it. "Professor, I can't accept this money."
Lucien smiled and closed my hand around the check. "I read up on your file. I know you're struggling to make ends meet." He looked away. "I debated writing this check for a few hours last night. But I can't have you dropping out and giving up now. I know you're tired. I know you're stressed. But I also can see the passion you have for science. It's a passion that I had when I was a student, and one that has grown now that I'm a researcher and a professor." He smiled. "I don't want to see someone so young give up on something so great."
I was moved by his kindness. I felt a tear slip out of my eye. I quickly wiped it away and hung my head, refusing to show any more tears. They seemed to flow from my eyes, unwilling to stop. This was the first act of kindness I had received since my parents had died. And from a total stranger!
"I'm sorry," I said, wiping my eyes and sniffling. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. Thank you." I met his eyes and gave him the best smile I could muster. "Thank you so much."
Lucien smiled and patted my head gently. His touch was warm and loving. I touched his hand and brought it to my cheek, nuzzling his palm gently. He blushed, his cheeks growing red and his eyes dancing in the afternoon light. He looked at me with soft eyes.
"I would like to hear about your opinion on my lecture," Lucien said, smiling. "Care to walk with me to your next class?"
I nodded. "Okay."
—
I came up with this idea at work. As soon as I got home, I started writing it.
See you soon!