Chapter 140: Something is shifting...I don’t like it.
"Um, I should get going." Cass knew it was a lame excuse. He knew that. That didn’t stop him from opening his dumb mouth, still too close to Vespertine’s face after the kiss and saying what he did.
Vespertine’s eyes widened, the watery, pretty blue shade something Cass was having a hard time looking away from. Vespertine, in the small space between them, bowed his head, before his shoulders started shaking.
Cass was worried that all of his hard work had meant nothing, and that the man was crying again. Instead, a few seconds later, he heard the soft sound of laughter coming from his lips.
"Why are you laughing?" Cass asked, genuinely confused, and Vespertine shook his head, raising his head up to meet Cass’ gaze. His expression was softer, even as it looked like he could cry again.
"I appreciate you comforting me, Cassian. I know that my form of comfort is far different from what you find acceptable. Still, thank you for going along with my whims." Vespertine’s voice held his laughter there, and Cass wondered if he was laughing at him. That wasn’t a nice feeling.
"You’re welcome?" Cass said questioningly, and that seemed to only make Vespertine laugh harder. "Is that IOU valid?" Cass asked. He wasn’t about to do something he didn’t want to and get nothing from it, not when it had been promised. Vespertine’s shoulders shook again.
"O-Of course. I wouldn’t go back on that. Not after you provided good lip service." Vespertine joked, and Cass felt his face heat. Cass knew that was a lie. He had no damn clue what he was doing. It had to have been terrible.
It was clear, or at least Cass thought so, that Vespertine wasn’t that confident in himself right now. He was shifting on the couch next to him, a little awkward which Cass never saw him be. He was always cocky, confident, and proud. He had even been like that when he was crying.
Now, however? His gaze was shifting, he wasn’t looking at Cass properly, and he was dropping his hands out of Cass’ hair. Cass wasn’t complaining, but he was noticing that there was a shift in the other man. He was sure that a good person would have been concerned, but honestly?
Cass wanted to go wash his mouth, and ask Sam to cook him another steak. He was hungry.
"Are you feeling better now?" Cass asked. He kinda felt like he was at knife point, and Vespertine’s shoulders shook more.
"You don’t really want to ask me that, do you?" Vespertine asked. He turned his gaze towards Cass, a little weird smirk on his lips, and Cass didn’t know what to say. It was clear the man was going through it, but Cass was at his own personal limit. He wanted to get out of here now. Vespertine didn’t let Cass answer, and instead threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"You don’t need to say anything, Cassian. Your expression is speaking volumes for you. I...I know you aren’t close to me, but I appreciate you sticking around and helping me. And for listening to my apology." Vespertine’s expression turned bitter. Combined with his smile, and watery blue eyes, Cass felt like he was kicking an animal while it was already down.
Fuck.
Should he volunteer to remain a little longer? It probably wouldn’t be a good idea. But damn it, Cass was susceptible to pretty men, and injured animals. There was a reason he’d gone to the park of all things to cool off, or just to hang out.
He usually got to see both. Well, not the injured animal part. Just animals. Usually dogs. Sometimes weirder animals. Like lizards and birds.
"I really should get going. I’m feeling tired from going out, and I should take my second round of meds." Cass wasn’t lying, he was being truthful. He just also was done with this conversation.
Vespertine took in Cass’ injured hands, swallowed, and nodded, before his brows furrowed.
"I just...Why, if you are a hero, specifically of the second rank...why can’t you be healed with holy magic?" Cass shrugged.
"I don’t know. It probably is related to why drinking that wine doesn’t bother me, but I don’t believe that the gods would uh, give someone with questionable origins the mark if they thought I was evil, you know?" They were actively trying to prevent that. Vespertine nodded slowly, confusion still on his face.
"Well...I can use holy power as well, so I’m not quite sure if I agree with you, but then again, I haven’t received the hero mark, nor will I ever. It was a deal made with the Vespertine family. We continue to spread the word of the gods, but we will not be heroes ourselves. We are obligated to help them when they need it." That was...
Cass knew what that meant. Or what he thought that meant. Someone from the Vespertine line probably got yoinked at some point, and now the gods couldn’t do that to them anymore. Thankfully, for their sakes, they had so many more worlds to steal from!
Good for them.
"That’s interesting. I had no idea that you had such a hard line on that." Cass told him. He did mean that. It was more lore he didn’t know before he came here, and Vespertine’s lips turned up slightly. Cass was sure he was just imagining things, but it appeared as if Vespertine was...slowly warming up to him?
His gaze wasn’t as teary, nor did it feel like he was seducing him. He was still close, and it was still awkward, but it was...different. The way he was holding himself felt...hmm, Cass was having a hard time putting his actions into words. A little...warmer? Open? Cass wasn’t the best at reading positive body language, so he was having a hard time putting a label on it.
Cass didn’t like it.
He didn’t want Vespertine to come out of this with positive emotions towards him. He had thought that they were going to get into a large fight. Trading barbs like pros. Instead, he’d gotten a weepy, broken handsome man who asked for kisses in comfort. And an IOU that Lord Blackburn had wanted.
Cass had been fine to let the other man cry it out. You know, get it off of his chest. It’s what Cass did.
"Yes. It isn’t commonly known since it would look bad if the Vespertine family couldn’t have a hero." Cass gave him a strange look.
"Why would it be bad? As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing." Vespertine blinked.
"How so?" He asked, and Cass glanced around. Damn it, he really needed to leave. Vespertine, noticing the way that Cass was behaving since he wasn’t exactly hiding it, chuckled. "Just this train of thought, and then I’ll let you go." Vespertine promised and Cass gave him a look. He examined his face, trying to decide if he could trust him, before he sighed and nodded. It wasn’t that he trusted him, he just knew that if push came to shove, Sir Forsythe was outside of the door.
"Well, heroes can show up in any social class. Lower, middle, or upper class. With the Vespertine family being one of the Ducal houses, that means that you have the power to support the hero. Both financial, and with actual power. You can make the others listen to you when it comes to things that the hero needs, given whatever mission they have been given by the gods. That kind of power means that the gods look on you favourably since you are helping them, and the general public look upon you fondly.
If the hero comes from the lower class, you potentially have the chance to have a great deal of control over them. You could even have them marry into your family for more political power. That actually applies across all classes. The Ducal part certainly helps with that.
Honestly, I don’t really see a downside besides not being able to claim that you can’t have a hero in your family line. You could twist that into meaning that you have such an important role in guiding the heroes that are chosen that the gods didn’t want to take you away from your own mission. As a family. That would get you a lot of good press. Plus, you married a hero again. Even if you get divorced, the public is still going to look on that favourably." Cass finished speaking, and found that Vespertine was staring at him.
Cass flushed, unsure what he should say when the man looked at him like that. Had he said something wrong? Was he upset? Should he have not brought up the divorce? Cass didn’t know what to do. He was the socially awkward one.
"I...hmm. I think you’ve just given me some insight into what my Father had once said to me. Thank you for that, Cassian. I’ll need to think about that more." Implied was that he would tell Cass what he had ruminated on and what conclusion he came to in the end. Cass wanted to tell him he was all good on that front. He didn’t need to know anything more.
Instead, a knock sounded on the door and Sir Forsythe’s voice came in through the door.
"My Lord, Lord Vespertine, Sam wanted to let you know that dinner was ready." Vespertine started laughing upon hearing that and gave Cass a warm smile.
"Your aides truly know you, don’t they? Alright. True to my word, let’s get you up and out of here." Vespertine said, and Cass felt relief fill him as he was finally able to leave. Now, he could go up to his rooms and relax.