Chapter 128: A dragon’s husband
Cass’ dream was hot.
Not only did he have a dream about kissing a man who was half naked, his shirt off and his chest on full display, but it also happened to be in a burning fucking hellscape.
Cass didn’t notice it at first, the hellscape. He was too fucking distracted with the deliciously plump chest before him, and the slight dusting of hair across his chest. Cass didn’t even really realise that he couldn’t see their face properly, and instead focused on the skin available to him.
It was a dream. He could do what he wanted.
So he plumped and bite and licked as he wanted, his hands filled with the muscles and skin before him before he found his mouth devoured. He had no idea what being ’devoured’ actually felt like, but he was sure it was something like this. He was fulfilling a fantasy.
Of course he’d dream something like this after being held by Draken for so long. The man was more stacked than the man he was playing with. He had to imagine a middle ground. Something more...realistic. This body was probably similar to...Lord Ridgewood, if he was going to compare it to one of the men around him.
Vespertine...might be someone who was handsome, and well liked by the outside world, but he was sure that he wasn’t as ripped as the other men. He was a mage, like Lord Blackburn. He didn’t have high hopes, knowing what Lord Blackburn looked like. He looked...emaciated, but that was because of his diet, not because he was a mage. It was actually more based on his stamina than anything else.
Lord Blackburn had terrible stamina. He could barely go on walks, and with Vespertine’s ’condition’ he couldn’t exactly go out and about like he wanted unless it was at night.
The man who was letting him mold him, touch him, who was modeled after probably Draken had quick hands, and was working on undressing Cass when he came to a sudden realisation and got angry.
That was when Cass realised that they were in a hellscape, and fuck, was he hot. Like, sweating hot. What the hell?
"You dare think of others?" He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t place the voice. Like it was...genderless. Confused, and he was sweating his balls off, Cass fumbled, his hands withdrawing from the other man’s body. Damn, it was hot. Really hot.
"W-What?" Cass mumbled, and the body he had been touching faded. He somehow knew that the man he had been touching was yelling at him, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. It was like his retention for information faded as the world around him got hotter, and then suddenly, it was gone.
~
Cass couldn’t remember his dream when Sam came to wake him up. He knew it was probably important in some way, since all of his fucking dreams couldn’t fucking dreams anymore, but he just...couldn’t recall it.
All he could remember was that it was hot. Hellishly hot.
Sam helped him get up, washed up since his hands were still not the best and needed to be wrapped again, dressed, and then brought to the study to eat his breakfast.
He was doing a lot better today. He could walk on his own without much assistance, his legs didn’t feel like jelly, and as much as Sam watched him, his eyes weren’t bleeding again. He actually felt considerably better. His head didn’t feel as foggy, his body felt lighter, and he was sure that his healing was going in the right direction.
He had no way to prove that. It was just something he felt, and it was clear that Sam wouldn’t take his word for it.
The man was like a mother hen, especially after yesterday. He’d stepped away for a few moments, and then Cass started bleeding from his eyes and collapsed and had trouble breathing. It was probably rather traumatic for the other man. It was why he didn’t complain that Sam hovered as much as he did. Nor about the attitude that he had.
Cass, when brought to his desk, was surprised by the giant, almost 50 ounce steak that sat on his desk, steaming, along with his usual food choices. Cass nearly tripped, he was so shocked and Sam grinned.
"At least Draken kept his promise." Sam said, and Cass wondered how upset Sam was by all of the stuff that he had heard the previous day. That was a crazy thing to say as a henchman, but it wasn’t as if he disagreed.
Cass nodded, staring at the steak and he wasn’t afraid to say his mouth watered. Sam grinned, helping him to his seat, and he took a moment to prepare him some tea. It was just as he was putting down the teacup that a knock sounded at the door.
Cass and Sam shared a look, an idea of who it was so early in the morning and both of them sighed before Sam put down the utensils he had been about to use to cut up the steak.
"Come in." Cass called reluctantly, and Draken’s laughter filled his ears as the door opened, a grin on his face.
"Not so happy to see me, hmm, Cassian?" He teased, before his eyes spotted the chunk of meat and he lit up. "Oh! Was I interrupting your meal? I am sorry then. Shall I help you?" He asked, his eyes bright, and Sam narrowed his gaze.
"My Lord has to take several pills and other things as well, Doctor’s orders, and I doubt that you would be happy with that, Draken." Sam said, sniffing. He puffed up, his chest out, like he was trying to make himself bigger then he actually was.
Cass couldn’t tell the man it instead made him fucking adorable, and that he was upset for Byron that he wasn’t here to witness it. Draken’s eyes lit up before he slid his gaze to Cass.
"Well that is completely reliant on Cassian, isn’t it? He could have chased me out immediately if he didn’t want me around." Draken said with confidence. Cass, not feeling particularly generous this morning for some reason, sighed.
"Or I just thought you were going to break down the door if I didn’t let you in." Cass replied dryly and Draken’s expression fell for a moment, before he hardened himself.
"You wouldn’t like that, so I wouldn’t do that. Even in anger. The only time I would do that is if I thought you were in danger." For some reason, a shiver went down Cass’ spine. He didn’t like the sound of that. It felt too damn broad. What the hell did he consider ’danger’? Cass felt like that term was ripe for taking advantage of, especially by someone like Draken.
He might consider a papercut a ’danger’ to Cass.
"Well, whatever. You don’t need to feed me again, Draken. Sam is here, and more than capable." Cass said and watched as the bigger, larger man deflated. "You can...remain here if you want, but I can only see it as boring. I’m sure you have other things to do." Cass didn’t know why he was getting so flustered seeing the larger man look so sad, and was surprised when he swore that he could tell that Draken was...pouting? Was the bigger man pouting? What the hell for?
"Aren’t you also bored? You can’t even turn a page in a book, and yet you’re trying to chase me away when I want to spend time with you? My husband? Who confirmed with our wife yesterday that this relationship he has been so worried about is okay with her?" Draken huffed, smoke spiraling out of his mouth and Cass didn’t know what to say to that.
He couldn’t admit to Draken that he’d almost forgotten about yesterday. Especially now, as his face flushed bright red as he remembered exactly what happened yesterday.
Shit.
Cass dropped his head, hiding his face as his heart began to race in his chest and all of the memories flooded back. He’d been fuzzy on details at the end of the night, but he remembered Draken’s fingers on his face, neck and lips. The way he’d looked at him, the way his chest had felt under his head.
Fuck. He was remembering how his lips had felt on his own. Shit!
"Cassian? Are you feeling okay? You’re giving off some weird feelings right now." Draken asked tentatively, but he sounded like he was in the same spot. Cass took a few deep, deep breaths before he nodded.
"I-I’m fine. Just a little..." He trailed off, not sure what to say without revealing the turmoil inside of him. For some reason, now, right now, he couldn’t get the image of Draken’s gaze, intense, focused on his lips, out of his head.
No. No no. Get rid of that. Get that out of your head, Cass. It wasn’t going to do you any good. Thinking of Draken while he was around? Hadn’t he already learned his damn lesson? Draken was ripe to take full advantage of that.
He wasn’t exactly known for not doing that.
"Cassian?" Draken’s voice filled his ears and Cass couldn’t help but shiver. "Hmm. Sam, a moment alone with Cassian, if you don’t mind?" Draken asked respectfully, and Cass raised his head suddenly, not really wanting that. Sam glanced at Cass, watching him, before he nodded to Draken and left. Cass felt his loss like a blow, and suddenly he was alone with Draken.
Draken was watching him, his gaze scanning Cass’ body. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his eyes were darting around and his pupils were dilated. Draken’s lips turned up in a smirk before he moved around the desk, getting on his knees before the other man in his big office chair. Draken was a giant, even for a man, and even on his knees it was huge. Cass swallowed as he looked down at him, and Draken’s orange gaze penetrated him.
"What is that smart brain thinking about, hmm? Your heart is racing, Cassian. I almost feared that Sam would hear it. Is something wrong? You don’t look ill, but I don’t know much about human constitutions." It was actually Draken’s hands on his waist and thigh that was really messing with his constitution if Cass was honest with himself.
The easy way that Draken could touch him without a thought, without a question. Neither Cass nor Lord Blackburn could do the same.
Cass, unable to stop himself, opened his mouth.
"H-How are you able to do this?" Cass asked, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat, embarrassed as Draken stared up at him, confused.
"How am I able to do what?" He asked. Cass scanned his face, trying to see if he was teasing him. He was being genuine.
"How are you able to just...touch me?" Cass asked, flushing as the words left his lips. Draken’s eyes widened, and Cass worried he was going to make fun of him. He didn’t. He sat back slightly, resting more of his weight against his thighs as he stared up at Cass. He felt awkward. He was sure he looked awkward, and the smell of cooked meat floated in the air.
"I’ve never questioned that before. I just...see something, and I go for it." Draken told him, his gaze watching Cass. "Are you not the same? I thought we at least shared that in common." Cass shook his head.
"Maybe when it comes to business practices, and that’s a maybe at most. I don’t...just do things." Cass told him, hoping that Draken understood what he was saying. Cass wasn’t even sure what he was saying. He felt a little strange, but not in the same way as yesterday. He was just...flustered. Well and truly flustered.
He had a man between his legs, kneeling, a hand on his thigh and a hand on his waist. This same man told him he was going to get him used to deeper kisses and had kissed him multiple times throughout the day yesterday. Cass wasn’t aware that physical touch was his weakness, but it was becoming clear that he was certainly...partial to it.
Draken nodded slowly, staring at Cass’ face.
"Hmm. You don’t just do things. You are right. You mull over things for a while, don’t you, Cassian?" The smile that touched his lips had a teasing nature to it. "Which makes me think...have you been thinking about me, Cassian?" Cass knew he was as red as a tomato now. There was no hiding it, when the man asked about it in such an upfront way. Draken’s lips turned up fully and he threw his head back and laughed. "As bright as a fresh strawberry, you are!" He said, joy in his eyes as he stared up at Cass.
His hands tightened, and Cass nearly jumped at the action. He’d barely gotten used to him having his hand on his thigh and waist, so having him tightened his grip was startling. Draken’s eyes narrowed.
"If you react in such a cute way, Cassian, I am going to forget my manners and the fact that you need to eat the meat I provided you, and might consider providing you another type of meat, if you catch my drift." Cass’ mouth opened in shock at the blatant display of...
It was a line right out of a romance novel. He’d never heard it uttered out loud before, and he had no idea what to say in response. Draken’s boisterous laughter filled the room.
"There is no reason to look at me like that, Cassian! I’m not going to attack an injured person." He teased, getting to his feet and pressing his lips against Cass’ forehead. "Hmm. Fresh Cassian. Nice." Cass screamed internally. What the fuck was going on?