Cass didn’t remember saying goodbye to Cassian. All he remembered was looking down at the teacup in his hand, opening his mouth to say something else to the man, then looking up and finding himself staring up at the ceiling of his new bedroom.
It was a rather startling realisation.
Cass laid there for a moment, trying to process everything that had passed between them. It hadn’t been as serious of a talk as the first time had. He felt that it couldn’t be now that he had two...heats under his belt.
It hurt him to say that. Cass had never really been into that genre, but it seemed he didn’t have a choice. Now that he’d said it on accident...that was what it was.
Cass closed his eyes, sighing heavily and he heard some shifting happen in the room.
"Cass?" A soft voice asked. It wasn’t Lucian, which kind of surprised Cass, but it was only a small part. That was because Lucian had pretty much been there every time he’d woken up, and because he’d spoken to Cassian about him too.
When Cass opened his eyes again, Edgar’s face came into view from the left. His hair was falling into his face, he looked freshened up and he was wearing clothes. He also didn’t look drained, so Cass had a feeling a significant amount of time passed. Could have been 8 hours, could have been 48. Cass had no idea.
When Edgar saw that Cass’ eyes were open, his eyes curled up at the corners as he smiled, pushing a strand of his hair behind his ear.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. You’ve slept for quite some time. Sam was worried about how long you were sleeping for, but I told him that you had just exhausted yourself. Are you feeling okay?" Edgar asked and Cass stared at him for a long moment before he attempted to respond. Edgar’s expression didn’t shift in the time that Cass stared at him, just waited.
"I-" Cass tried to speak, but his throat was parched. Edgar noticed, and turned and grabbed a glass beside the bed. When he turned back, he helped Cass sit up and take a drink, then propped him up with some pillows so that he could sit upright in the bed.
While Edgar helped him, Cass took inventory of his body. Unlike the first time, his whole body didn’t ache. He didn’t feel like a twisted, bruised mass of flesh. Instead, he felt sore, with certain parts that felt particularly sore, but he didn’t think he needed a doctor for them. A bath would probably help, and some good food, but he felt...okay.
He felt more alive than he had in a while. Before the hell week had even started. It felt like something had shifted in his body. He wasn’t sure if he had changed in a good way or not, but he felt that as of this moment, this was a positive change.
"I’m alive." Cass rasped, and watched as Edgar’s smile brightened.
"Well, it would do me no favours if you weren’t, Cass." Edgar replied, and it took Cass a moment to realise he was teasing.
"Is it just you?" Cass rasped, and Edgar’s smile broadened.
"It is just me. Sam is currently busy with Byron, Fiona and Ava are off on a date, your employees are off doing their work, and Gideon is holed up in the library with Sir Sanders as a guide/guard. Ser Hune is outside the door." Edgar wasn’t going to cut him any slack.
He knew who he was asking about, but he wasn’t going to tell Cass anything until the man asked about him himself. Cass could tell. He was trying to force him to ask about him. Cass frowned at Edgar.
Edgar’s grin brightened more.
"I see. Can you ask Ser Hune to get Sam to prepare some food?" Cass rasped. He wasn’t hungry, but he knew that he was. While he had...eaten, he probably needed a blend of both types of food. Edgar nodded, hesitated for a second before reaching out with his hand and brushing some of Cass’ hair out of his face.
"Of course I can do that. Are you feeling alright? Do I need to also call for a discrete doctor?" Edgar asked, clearly recalling the last time this had happened. Cass shook his head slowly, being careful. With that simple shake, he was able to tell that he was in far better condition, truly, then he had been last time.
"I’m actually...okay." Cass rasped. His voice didn’t sound great, but his throat didn’t throb. His body wasn’t in actual pain, he could move, and he didn’t feel like he wanted to cry. He wanted a warm bath, some liquids, and maybe a warm meal, but that was...kind of normal. "Can you help me sit up?" Cass asked and Edgar was there.
Gently he pressed his hand against Cass’ back, helping the man slowly sit up until Cass was vertical, his body aching, but not screaming. It was such an incredible improvement that Cass was a little shocked. He...he hoped that having them help him was going to actually make a difference, but he hadn’t anticipated this.
This was...
Cass felt his eyes grow a little watery before he ducked his head and took a few deep breaths.
"Are you okay? Any pain?" Edgar’s attentiveness was appreciated, but a little much while Cass was trying not to bawl like a baby.
Cass shook his head, taking a few more deep breaths. He thought he was in the clear until Edgar got on his knees, placing his hands on Cass’ as he peered up into his face. Cass felt his eyes widen as he met the blue gaze of the handsome man below him and Edgar’s gaze widened as well.
"Babe, are you crying? Oh, don’t do that. It’s okay. You’re okay." Edgar’s voice was soft, velvety, and Cass just couldn’t do it anymore. He felt the first tear fall as he sniffed, raising his hand to rub it against the back of his eye, trying to prevent more from falling. Edgar watched him, his blue eyes filling with emotion as Cass wasn’t able to stop himself.
"I’m okay. I just...I just don’t hurt, Edgar." Cass rasped and Edgar’s expression softened further, his hands squeezing Cass’ knees and thighs.
"That’s okay. That’s good, right?" Edgar asked and Cass gave a quick nod.
"Yeah. It is good. It’s great. I’m just..." Cass trailed off, letting out breath through his mouth as he tried to control his emotions. Edgar reached up a hand, rubbing away a few tears with his thumb.
"It’s just..." Edgar encouraged and Cass gave a wet laugh.
"I was immobile last time, Edgar." Cass told him and Edgar’s expression hardened slightly.
"Your servant, Byron, was carrying you if I recall. Or was it Lucian? Either way, you weren’t walking if I remember correctly." Edgar muttered and Cass nodded.
"I couldn’t. I had hurt myself so much." Cass said simply and Edgar stared up at him. He watched Cass as he silently cried tears of relief. Edgar gave a shaky exhale, his hand that was wiping away tears turning to cup Cass’ face and Cass closed his eyes. Edgar’s hand was warm against his face, comforting.
"Lucy is out hunting some fresh meat for you." Edgar told him quietly. "He wanted me to wait to tell you where he was until you asked for him, but I feel that you need to know where he is more than him playing games with you." Edgar spoke softly to Cass, like he thought Cass was going to shatter if he spoke too loudly.
Cass wanted to laugh at the way he was treating him. Just because he was crying didn’t mean he was delicate. Relieved tears were normal. It was a reaction he couldn’t control.
"Can I have a bath?" Cass asked and Edgar let out a soft exhale.
"Of course you can. Do you want me to help you there?" Edgar asked and Cass nodded, not trusting himself to speak more. Edgar carefully helped him to his feet and when Cass couldn’t support his own body weight, he gently picked him up, helping Cass wrap his arms around his neck.
Cass didn’t have the energy to feel embarrassed. He was too exhausted from the whole experience to feel that way. He knew his face was red, his eyes watering, and his limbs shaking, but that was just a side effect.
Edgar placed Cass on the edge of the bathtub safely, and was about to help Cass more when Cass shook his head.
"You should go tell Ser Hune about what I need from Sam. I can at least get the tub started. My magic should still work." Cass joked and Edgar halted. He scanned Cass, the man dressed in these loose fitting pajamas, before he nodded.
He bent, pushing Cass’ hair out of the way as he planted his lips against his forehead. It was a soft action, and the contact of his skin against Cass’ made something warm unfurl in Cass’ gut. Cass swallowed thickly.
"I’ll only be gone for a minute at most. I’ll be back to help you undress, Cass. You get the tub started." Edgar whispered before he left. Cass felt a shudder rock his body.
Was he expecting this kind of Edgar to reach out to him? No. He wasn’t. Honestly, he felt that Edgar should be unable to walk as well. Given what Cass had done to him....
Cass’ face flushed as the memories that flashed before him. Cass gulped, nervous, his hands flexing on the edge of the tub before he turned his attention towards the taps.
With a simple thought, water began to pour into the tub. He wasn’t able to sense the flow of magic as well as he had when he was in heat, but he could still faintly sense it. That was something interesting to consider, the fact that his senses were getting better.
He wasn’t about to look at it too straight. He didn’t really want to know how that worked, or why. He should know, but right now? Ignorance was bliss.
Especially knowing what he had to do next.