Chapter 221: A handsome man in denial
Cass was on high alert as soon as he realised that he was in a dangerous situation, but nothing happened, and they weren’t alone for long.
They didn’t start moving, and Cass watched as Lucian’s head turned slightly, before a smile touched his lips and then there was a knock at the door. The door to the carriage opened and a smiling Fiona crawled in, plopping down next to Cass.
"Gosh! That was such a fun ride!" She said, her cheeks flushed. "I had to give back the carriage to the Vespertine’s since it belonged to the temple. Is it alright if I catch a ride with you two?" Fiona asked, before she turned to Cass, her eyes narrowed. "Hold on a second, why are you still here? Didn’t we stop by your house in the capital already?" Fiona, sharp at strange times, had Cass laughing awkwardly.
"Well, yes, we did, but I just...didn’t want to stay there." Cass told her and she narrowed her eyes, turning so that more of her was facing Cass. She was frowning, her arms crossed as she scanned him.
"Why? That’s supposed to be your home?" She asked and it was Lucian who interrupted.
"Fiona, the man moved into the middle of fucking nowhere without any questions asked. He built a home with his own money. He also married you without loving you. Those things don’t spell happy home den to me." Lucian said and Fiona’s frown deepened more.
"Ah. Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I should know better." Fiona muttered and Cass chuckled.
"I also didn’t let them know I was coming. It completely slipped my mind since we haven’t been back since I came back. I got everything else ready, but that completely slipped my mind." It took them a second to realise what Cass was referring to, and when it clicked, a look of understanding crossed Fiona’s face.
"Oh! I didn’t even consider that that would affect your memory like this! That was so silly of me. If I had known I would have reminded you!" Fiona said and Cass chuckled.
"When, Fiona? You only found out about this in the dungeon." Cass said and Fiona flushed. Damn it, he had tried to push it to the side, but the way she was behaving was reminding him of his sister still. He was speaking to her like she was his sister, and he was trying his best to reign it in.
"W-Well, that doesn’t-stop making sense, Cass. It’s the sentiment that matters!" Fiona said, her cheeks flushed as Cass chuckled, shaking his head as a smile touched his lips.
"Oh yeah? The sentiment, huh?" He replied dryly, teasingly and both Lucian and Fiona stared at him. Fiona’s eyes were wide, while Lucian was staring at him like he was seeing a new side of him.
"Fuck. If you look at others like that, Cassian, I am not being held responsible if I get into fights." Lucian said and Cass’ expression shifted to one of confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Cass asked, turning to Lucian to find that the man wasn’t even hiding how he was feeling. His hand was over his mouth and he was looking at Cass so possessively that Cass instinctively covered his chest. Why his chest? He didn’t know, he just did it.
"You were so pretty, Cass." It was Fiona’s words that clarified what had just happened. Cass blinked. Him? Pretty? While he would admit that Lord Blackburn was twink coded. Hairless, thin, semi handsome, he just couldn’t see it. Everyone had reacted poorly several times when he’d smiled in the past. How was now any different?
"You’re pulling my leg. There is no way that that was the case. You’ve never liked it when I smiled before." Cass said and the husband and wife duo shared a look before they looked back at Cass.
"You weren’t good at it before." Fiona told him honestly. "It only changed when you came back from your...vacation." Fiona said and Cass blinked. How was anyone bad at smiling? A smile was a smile?
Fiona took in the blank expression that Cass gave her and burst into laughter.
"Your whole face is asking me how anyone could be bad at smiling, but I promise you, you were terrible at it. It looked more like a grimace. Like you were in pain. I wanted to ask you about it several times before, but I just...it didn’t feel right to." Fiona said. She seemed rather apologetic for bringing it up, and Cass wondered if this hurt Lord Blackburn inside of him. He hoped it didn’t.
Because honestly, what was a man who had this history that Lord Blackburn did, supposed to smile about? Fucking nothing. That’s what Cass believed, and so yeah, it made perfect sense why he wouldn’t know how to smile.
"Huh." Cass said, and Fiona began to panic.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just trying to-" Cass cut off Fiona’s rambling reply, shaking his head and holding out a calm hand.
"I’m not upset. I just...had no idea that there was that big of a shift." Cass said and Fiona and Lucian shared a look again. Cass narrowed his gaze. "What? Are you two telepathic or something now? What’s going on here?" Cass demanded and Lucian sighed.
"Well, it’s just...quite a few things changed once you came back from your...vacation. You...ugh, I hate saying it this way but...you were more human when you came back? You still had your walls up, but you were just...brighter. Like the life hadn’t been sucked out of you." That was hilarious considering that was what happened. Lord Blackburn’s life had been sucked out of him, and Cass’ had been shoved into him.
It would have only been made better, or worse, if there had been a magical girl transformation at the same time.
Cass snorted at his own thought, startling the two in front of him, and he just waved his hand, assuring them he was fine.
"Sorry, sorry. I just had a thought that made me laugh." Cass told them and Fiona frowned.
"Care to share?" She asked and Cass shook his head, laughing still.
"You wouldn’t...you wouldn’t get it. Having to explain it would ruin the joke. Anyways," Cass tried to change the subject now, "where are you two planning to stay the night?" Cass asked and Lucian stared at Fiona, practically willing her to speak first. Fiona took the hint, rolling her eyes before meeting Cass’.
"I’m going to stay at the large house that I was gifted when I first became a hero. I don’t want to stay with any of the others, and it would be nice to check up on it." Cass nodded. That seemed perfectly normal.
"Lady Ava didn’t stay with you?" Cass asked curiously, and watched as Fiona’s face went red.
"Cass!" She protested and Cass shrugged.
"What? It’s a valid question! I don’t see any reason not to ask it." Cass said and Lucian chuckled, but remained silent otherwise. Fiona was clearly flustered at the casual way Cass spoke out about this.
"She has family here, and it would be inappropriate if she didn’t spend the night at home." Cass shrugged.
"Okay. And? You’re the hero? She can visit in the morning?" Cass said and Fiona’s jaw dropped, flapped, before she closed it.
"You’re damn lucky you don’t have anyone like that in your life right now, because that’s a devious assumption. If you had in laws, or if you were hiding your relationship, that would not be okay. Rumours would start immediately." Fiona said and Cass stared at her for a long, long moment before he nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I understand why you’re worried. You do look at her like she hangs the moon and the stars in the night sky." It was blow after blow for Fiona. Cass wasn’t even aware that he was throwing punches, but he was. Fiona started shaking, and Lucian’s laughter grew louder.
"Cassian. Spare our wife. She wasn’t aware of it, clearly, or she wouldn’t be that shade." Lucian said, a sparkle in his eye. Fiona gasped.
"You knew too?" She accused, covering her mouth and Lucian’s grin grew sharper.
"Why would I get in the way of my human wife finding love? I see no problem with it. You aren’t holding me back, and I also don’t see any problem with same sex couples, obviously." Lucian said with a casual shrug. Fiona slid her hand up, covering her face as the carriage rocked, going down a slightly rougher pathway.
"I can’t believe it. I’ve been looking at her like that?" She asked, not looking at anyone. Cass chuckled.
"Hmm. Not sure how long before the dungeon, but I did notice it occasionally before. Well, when Lady Ava wasn’t in her...emotional state previously, and then you’ve been a little aggressive with it since we’ve gotten out of the dungeon." Cass told her and Fiona let out a shuddering breath.
"I am so, so grateful for the fact that you don’t care about this." Fiona whispered, before looking up and meeting Cass’ gaze. "Truly. I can tell you really don’t care." Fiona repeated and Cass shrugged.
"Uh, why would I? We’re politically married, and I didn’t even get what I wanted from this marriage." Fiona winced and Lucian’s expression darkened.
"You were supposed to get something from your marriage to Fiona?" He asked and Cass nodded.
"Yeah. The Dukedom." Cass said. "It’s not Fiona’s fault I didn’t get it. My grandfather, the current Duke, is an asshole that just won’t die. I honestly have to make sure that when he does that his will doesn’t have some bullshit loophole in it. That, or I need to force his hand before he dies to get what was promised to me." Cass said and could see the lights going off in Lucian’s eyes.
"Do you want me to-"
"Good humans don’t eat other humans." Cass deadpanned, shooting down Lucian’s offer before he could even finish his thoughts. Lucian deflated immediately and Cass’ lips twitched. He looked so genuinely upset that he couldn’t eat the man. "I won’t take scaring him to death off the table, but not yet." Cass told him, and that seemed to brighten the dragon.
Fiona, however, seemed to be lost in thought.
"He really should fulfil his part of the deal though. He wouldn’t be so petty as to add in a ’you need an heir’ clause, would he?" Fiona asked, uncovering her face to meet Cass’ gaze. Cass’ smile was downright diabolical in response.
"Oh, he’s more than capable of doing some petty shit like that."