Chapter 242: We can’t do this here
She needed help getting up, the same way that Cass had after he’d spoken to the gods. Edgar and Fiona noticed that she was up, but judging from the floaty, ethereal look on Lady Ava’s face, she hadn’t noticed and hadn’t come down from her high of speaking to them.
She really did look intoxicated, and she squeezed Cass’ hand tightly in her own.
"That was amazing. I haven’t been able to speak to them in so long. Thank you, Cass. I can’t begin to explain what you’ve just done for me." Lady Ava looked like she was going to cry again, and Cass had no idea what to do in this situation.
"Uh, you’re welcome?" Cass offered hesitantly, and Lady Ava smiled wide, giggling.
"Oh, it’s so nice to be able to talk about this openly!" She said, before launching herself at Cass, making him stumble back so that Lucian had to catch both of them. She was squeezing him tightly before she let him go, releasing his hand and giggling as she spun in circles, her arms out, excitement and glee in every fiber of her being.
"I’m the saintess!" She exclaimed as she spun and Cass just stared at her. Yeah. She was. He knew that in her mind she needed the confirmation, but Cass thought it was foolish that she had doubted herself.
She should know that she was more powerful then the current Head Priest. He knew so she had to know as well.
With Lady Ava spinning in circles laughing like a madman, Cass realised that he was still in Lucian’s arms. As if they both noticed at the same time, Lucian’s arms tightened around him for a second before he released him. Cass glanced back at the other man, looking up at his orange gaze and found that Lucian wasn’t really looking at him. He was staring up at the statue.
Cass was almost a little...upset that the man was looking at something else while Cass was so close? And then Cass felt his heart jerk in his chest as he realised he’d even had that thought.
"What are you looking at?" Cass asked, turning so that he eventually found himself beside Lucian, not in front of him. Sir Forsythe was on the other side of Lucian, so they were all vaguely in a line staring up at the statues.
"Oh. Just wondering if I held your hands and got down on my knees if I would be able to meet god too?" Lucian said it so casually that Cass didn’t register it for what he was until he gasped, abruptly turning his gaze towards the other man to find him grinning wickedly.
"Lucian!" Cass chastised, and that only made the other man laugh more.
"What? It’s a valid question!" He said but Cass knew better. He smacked his shoulder, knowing it would hurt Cass more than it would hurt Lucian, but the point was there. Lucian at least rubbed the spot out of respect for Cass.
"You know damn well what the problem with that was!" Cass hissed and Lucian gave him a look. Cass hesitated slightly when the man moved in closer, the sound of his inhale filling his ear as the man\s lips brushed his earlobe.
"Are you going to make me do it here? I’d be happy to." Lucian’s voice was low, seductive, and Cass felt parts of his body stir.
Imagining the man kissing his feet in a place this sacred?
He didn’t think the gods would forgive him. That only made it more tantalizing.
"You’re delusional." Cass whispered back and Lucian laughed, pulling back. He reached for Cass’ face, hesitating for a second before his hand made contact as he cupped his cheek. Cass didn’t move, staring up at the man, wondering what his intention was. Lucian scanned Cass’ face, trying to read him, trying to understand what he was thinking.
"I might be, but I’m glad my words took that look off of your face." Lucian said before he blinked slowly, showing off his dragon traits in a way that felt intimate. Cass sucked in as he stared into his orange eyes. "I’m pissed that man did this to you. I’m pissed that I trusted him." Lucian said and Cass felt emotion swell up in him.
"It’s fine, Lucian." Cass said quietly and Lucian shook his head slightly.
"No, it’s not. While we are in this rocky patch, and I am trying, I just haven’t been able to go to a place where they keep human history yet, I cannot believe that someone who you trusted to have your back would go and stab you this way." Lucian’s expression shifted slightly as he realised that Cass’ expression hadn’t moved. "Had you...been anticipating this?" He asked softly and Cass shifted nervously.
Now was probably not the time to discuss the fact that Cass, and Lord Blackburn, hadn’t really trusted anyone on the hero party. Cass didn’t need to say it out loud as Lucian’s expression shifted to one of pure heartbreak.
"Sweetness, are you serious?" Lucian took a step closer and Cass grew nervous.
"We can’t talk like this right now." Cass told him, turning his head so that he wasn’t looking at Lucian right now. Lucian gave a soft laugh.
"Why? We need to have this conversation." Lucian said and Cass sighed.
"We can, but not like this. We’re in the temple, Lucian, with the rest of the hero party. We’re married to the same woman." Cass said each word slowly, carefully and Lucian snarled. He removed his hand, only to grab Cass with it and yank him towards one of the pews.
He made sure Cass was sitting down before he sat down next to him. Cass glanced around, worried that the others were looking at them, but it was only Sir Forsythe. The other three were in their own little world.
Lucian reached up again, cupping Cass’ face with his hand and Cass turned his gaze back towards him. Lucian looked very upset and Cass dropped his gaze again, sighing.
"I don’t think it should be this much of a shock that I don’t trust anyone." Cass told him. "Before and after I went on ’vacation’, I’ve always kept to myself." Cass said and Lucian gave a soft growl.
"While that is true, I always trusted you with my back." Cass felt his lips turn up slightly.
"It certainly didn’t feel that fucking way." Cass muttered and Lucian jerked as if he had been hit.
"I was-it was-ugh." Lucian groaned. "Shit. Right. As a human, that isn’t viewed as a normal interaction. I think I...no, I’m sorry. I should have realised half of this before I even realised my feelings for you." Cass blinked at the casual way Lucian said that, and how upset he was getting. Cass could practically feel his emotions filling up the room.
"What are you talking about?" Cass asked and Lucian grumbled.
"Can you look at me?" Lucian asked and Cass hesitated for a second before he raised his gaze to Lucian’s. Even if the man was cupping his cheek, and they were partially hidden by the pew, Cass knew that it really meant nothing. He was sure the priests that were spies in this room were listening in rather intently. They also weren’t blind and could see how they had split off to have a conversation.
Lucian’s gaze was full of remorse, something that Cass hadn’t really seen so far. It was...a bit surprising, honestly.
"In dragon culture," Lucian began, before wincing, "well, all dragon culture is like this. We’re aggressive. Big. Loud. It’s part of the fact that we’re sturdy once we transform, and tend to get physical. It’s why violence isn’t always viewed negatively since...we can take it? No hard feelings? That part is a little hard to explain to human sensibilities, no matter what." Lucian sighed. "So, when I’d just woken up from my slumber and met Fiona, then met everyone else, I was...interested in Fiona and assessing everyone else as a threat. Probably not that different from everyone else in concept, but I...I am beginning to realise completely different in what you observed it to be."
The man was super fucking slow to this realisation.
It was so slow that Cass almost wanted to laugh, but then again, the man didn’t have to rush. He had, at one point, told Cass that he had been quick to quell his anger. He probably thought he’d be doing this groveling thing forever.
Good.
"Now you are realising that?" Cass said dryly and Lucian flinched.
"Time isn’t...the same for me." Lucian defended weakly, practically pouting. Cass almost found his expression comical. With the beard and facial hair, and his big orange eyes, Cass felt he looked like a comic book character.
"Uh huh." Cass replied and Lucian winced again.
"I’m sorry. Really. I thought that...this is dumb, but I thought that you would have noticed the change. I mean, you already knew so much about magic, I guess I just made an assumption that you would know about...other things." Lucian muttered.
"That I would know you were a dragon and know dragon behaviours?" Cass asked and Lucian sighed. He closed his eyes, looking pained.
"I know. It’s...stupid, and foolish. I understand what you mean now when you say that I need to learn more about human behaviours. I’ve been...selfish and stupid. Fuck. How are you ever going to forgive me?" Lucian asked, sounding genuinely upset. Cass wasn’t sure if he could trust that.
"Yeah. Honestly, how could I forgive you for your constant lack of concern for my permission, my bodily autonomy and respect for my general being?" Every valid point made Lucian wince and Cass stared at him as the man slowly deflated. He didn’t look like he wanted to, but he took his hand off of Cass’ face.
"I...I’m so far beyond just a bad dragon. You should throw me in jail." It was still on the table. The fact that Lucian said it was a good mark for him.
"It is unfortunate that it took you this long to realise that you’d messed up as bad as you had." Cass said quietly. Lucian nodded. He sighed heavily.
"I...I always liked you." Lucian mumbled, and the soft words felt like a damn bomb. "I like Fiona, but I like her because she’s like me. Sturdy. Hardy. Won’t break as easily." Cass watched as a flush covered Lucian’s cheeks as he said his next words. "Fiona is the kind of person my den mother would have wanted me to like, but you..." He gulped. "I’ve always liked people and things...like you." Cass opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to wrap his head around what the man had just said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cass asked, his voice sounding scratchy. Lucian wouldn’t meet his gaze.
"Look soft on the outside, strong on the inside. Pretty. It’s not very dragon-like, but I just..." Lucian trailed off and Cass felt like he’d just heard something incredible.
He wanted to forget all about it.