Chapter 290: What is this feeling? Frustration? Annoyance? I don’t like it
Cass felt like he was a stomping, angry troll. He was angrily pulling clothes on, huffing and puffing. At this point, he should be the dragon, not the man outside.
Edgar was staying out his war path, still covered in wine, watching him with warm blue eyes that made Cass flush every time he looked in his damn direction. That fucker.
He didn’t need any more confusing feelings right now. Not when he wasn’t even sure how to kick the man out of his room. The fucker didn’t even have somewhere else to go. Cass didn’t even know if he had a room in the mansion. He was sure that he did, but damnit, he was following him like a puppy right now.
Cass spun, doing up the last of his buttons on his shirt, his hair wet and flicking into his eyes. He pushed it out of his face, annoyed that it was white and not brown, before glaring at Edgar. Then, he waved a hand and Edgar paused as magic swirled around him. One second he was looking like he’d crawled out of a romance novel and next...
He still looked like he’d crawled out of a romance novel, just not out of a...spicy scene. Just before one started.
"Thank you, Cass." Edgar said sweetly, pushing the hair out of his face. Cass scowled at him. He was mad because he didn’t really have anything to be mad about when it came to him right now. He’d helped out all afternoon, had a rough day himself, made out with Cass earlier and...even put up with Cass being an asshole.
Cass let out a heavy, angry sigh and Edgar just watched him with the same fucking tender expression that Cass was getting annoyed at.
Annoyed was the right answer. It was actually making Cass’ body stir in ways that he knew was a fucking problem. A very annoying, frustrating problem because Cass didn’t know how to deal with these feelings. He hadn’t had them before, and at least with Lucian he could just push him away because he was a damn dragon.
With Edgar it was...harder. Cass wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the face card he was working with. Either way, Cass was annoyed, frustrated, and...he didn’t want to admit it. Even saying inside of his head was frustrating, but...Cass was...he was...
He was kinda hard, okay?
Annoyed at even the admittance to himself, Cass huffed and turned to the bed. He yanked the sheets up, not caring as he crawled under them and tucked himself in. He beat up a pillow, fluffing it up before he slammed his wet head against it and closed his eyes.
Edgar’s soft laughter tickled his ears and only made Cass’ cheeks burn. He knew he was being immature. He knew that, but that didn’t change the situation. He was uncomfortable, he wasn’t sure what to do, and all he wanted to do was run away from what he was feeling. So what if he was immature?
He was allowed to be! Fuck relationships! Fuck emotions!
Fuck men!
"Baby, you should at least dry your hair before you go to bed. I’m not the best at styling hair, and Sam probably won’t be here until two days from now." Edgar’s soft, gentle voice washed over Cass. Cass felt his whole body stiffen at the nickname.
"Don’t call me that." Cass protested and Edgar let out a soft sigh.
"Why? I think it suits how you are behaving right now." Edgar’s voice held a core of humour. Cass stiffened even further before he sat up and turned to face Edgar. He opened his mouth, about to fire back at him only to freeze.
The fucker was looking at him like that again. It was damn fucking illegal. Cass felt his face warm, his pulse quicken, and his palms began to sweat.
"Don’t look at me like that." Cass meant to sound harsh, aggressive, but he sounded a little breathless. He knew that his flushed cheeks really didn’t sell the angry and annoyed look he was going for. Edgar’s gaze narrowed slightly, his smile mischievous as he took in Cass’ slightly shaking form.
"Like what, Baby? All I’m doing is looking at you. You don’t like that? I didn’t realise that you were really into blindfold play. I can play along later, okay? For now, I just want to take care of you." Cass gulped, shifting slightly as the man got onto the bed. He was slowly approaching Cass, giving him plenty of time to resist him.
Cass couldn’t look away from that damn trap of a face. Ugh. He didn’t realise he was such a sucker for a pretty face, yet here he was. Letting Edgar fucking Vespertine walk all over him.
Edgar was gentle, maneuvering Cass until he was lying down, his head elevated by a pillow on Edgar’s knee and the rest of his head was freely in the air. Then, like a damn blow dryer, the man waved his hand and a gentle, soft warm wind began to dry Cass’ hair.
Cass was surprised. He was lying down with his head in the man’s lap, looking up at a handsome but pretty face as the man hummed a gentle tune and dried his hair. Cass’ hands were linked together on his chest as he stared up.
This was not where he expected things to go when the man kept calling him Baby.
Cass felt his face flare with embarrassment at the direction his own thoughts had gone.
Part of him wanted to blame the week from hell that was approaching, but he wasn’t fully sure if he could blame that. He hadn’t been like this the last time, but then again, he hadn’t really had anyone around that he could do that kind of thing with.
He wasn’t doing it with Sam, and he certainly wasn’t doing it with Byron or Sir Forsythe. So maybe it just hadn’t triggered since he hadn’t had people around who he considered...options?
Cass lay there, puzzled, as Edgar continued to dry his hair. Eventually, his hair was dry, but Cass didn’t notice. Edgar smiled, taking a small liberty and began to run his fingers through Cass’ hair.
It was a soft touch at first, gentle, but as he got to rubbing his nails carefully against Cass’ scalp it was as if he’d unlocked something deep within Cass. Cass’ eyes fluttered closed and he let out a soft, breathless sound. Edgar didn’t make it obvious that he was affected by the sound, his expression still warm as he continued to pet and calm down the anxious man.
Slowly, he shifted Cass again until he was under the covers, his brows slightly furrowed but every other part of him relaxed and Edgar let out a soft sigh. He pressed his lips against Cass’ forehead, slowly pulling his fingers against Cass’ scalp in a gentle, but firm motion.
"Have sweet dreams, Cass. I’ll see you in the morning."
~
Cass didn’t dream.
It was slightly unusual, but also slightly normal. He’d only had a few dreams thus far while being here, and he wasn’t exactly sure if they were a good thing.
Cass stared up at the ceiling of the room he was in, hearing the birdsong from somewhere nearby before he let out a loud, heavy sigh.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Cassian? Are you up, sweetheart?" It was Lucian, and there was a slight edge to his voice. "I need to speak with you if you are." Cass wondered what the man would need to say if he had that tone to his voice.
Sitting up, Cass looked around, taking a moment to process what was around him before he sighed.
"I am awake. You can come in." Cass called at a normal volume. Lucian came in, hesitating before he closed the door behind him and made his way over to Cass’ side.
"First off, good morning. I hope you had a good rest. Secondly, Eddie received a response from Sam and Byron last night. I’m sure it was meant for you, but he received it because he was still in your room after you had fallen asleep. Not too long, he was just about to leave." Lucian clarified.
That was...interesting to hear. Cass hadn’t realised that was even something that could happen. He hadn’t heard of someone being able to intercept a magical spell like that before. Maybe that was just an Edgar thing?
"Nothing bad is happening, is there?" Cass asked, worried, and Lucian smiled, shaking his head.
"No no, nothing like that. Just that Sam had anticipated that you were going to be spending more time in the city when you didn’t let him know you were coming back, so they were already on their way to the city. With the things you needed as well." Lucian said, his gaze narrowed, but that was all he said on that topic. "Because of that, Sir Forsythe left earlier than we anticipated. So, Ser Hune and I are in charge of your protection for now." Lucian hesitated for a moment. "Eddie also let me know that you planned to send Ser Hune to infiltrate the Vespertine manor again?" He asked and Cass nodded.
"Yeah. Since he forgot to grab his things when he left, I thought she could just go again." Cass said and Lucian sighed heavily. He had been standing like a guard, his hands behind his back as he had been recounting everything to Cass up until this point. He broke character and raised a hand, running it through his thick strands of long, black hair.
"Can I suggest something?" He asked and Cass blinked. This was a first. Why?
"What’s wrong?" Cass asked and Lucian sighed.
"I don’t doubt Ser Hune. She’s good, but the guards are used to us now. I suggest we wait until Byron gets here, and then send the shadow dragon in to grab the stuff. Plus, he’ll be more sensitive to magic and any traps." It was...a good suggestion. Cass narrowed his gaze.
"Is there another reason for this suggestion?" Cass asked and Lucian blinked, before he looked ill.
"I...I’m not allowed to say. I told them that I wouldn’t say anything, and I’m trying to take promises seriously." Lucian said, remaining silent. That was rather...broad-ended, and Cass had no idea where to take it. So, he didn’t want to put Ser Hune in danger because of a promise? He couldn’t really argue with that.
"Alright. I’m not dying if Edgar doesn’t have clothes for a few more days. It’s also probably a great way to blow off steam in the afternoon." Cass said, brightening at the thought. Lucian blinked.
"Don’t you have meetings?" He asked and Cass gave him a sly smile.
"Who said I won’t be done with them by the afternoon? I’m really only telling people to fuck off at this point. I’m allowed to take a break too, plus, I need a wardrobe refresh as well." Cass said, getting excited.
Why hadn’t he thought of that before? Edgar had taken him out shopping, so now it was his turn.