Cass found himself unwillingly eating with the others. Byron wasn’t with them, instead asking if he could go check on Sam and make sure that he had been taking care of himself.
Cass, remembering what he had unwillingly found out in the morning, let the man go. Not without Lucian making sure that they both had a lot of food on two plates. Cass watched the way that the two dragons interacted and noticed that there were tiny differences between how Lucian spoke to him, and to Byron.
There was a stiffness to their shoulders, a bit of posturing. Flared nostrils, twitching brows, and Cass swore he heard a bit of grunting. However, it didn’t feel hostile? Cass couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but it felt a bit more like an awkward interaction between distant family members.
It was a strange interaction, but not...unpleasant. What was slightly unpleasant was that now that the Byron buffer was gone, it was just Cass, Edgar, Lucian and Gideon.
Gideon looked nervous. Extremely nervous. He’d said nothing when the men had been confronting Cass earlier, and for some reason he looked worse when he was just sitting at the dining room table with a plate of food in front of him.
Edgar was quiet, as was Lucian. They didn’t seem to be upset or nervous, just focused on something internally. Cass was a little frustrated that the work streak he had been on was interrupted, but knew that he needed food.
It was only recently that he even noticed that his body was...getting better. He wondered if it was the fact that he could eat normal food without having to worry about blessings placed on it or if it was another food source that was helping him.
Even thinking about it, and trying to be practical about it, made his face warm. He felt like a damn teenager, but how couldn’t he? He had been trying to avoid several of the topics involved with being...whatever the fuck he was, and his blood wasn’t letting him.
Like the fact that he felt nervous, a little jittery, and couldn’t stop shifting in his seat. There was a strangeness below him, a dampness he’d never felt before. It was almost like he’d wet himself and that alone was a horrifying thought.
It was clarified for him when Lucian let out a harsh breath.
"Are you alright, Sweetness?" Lucian asked, glancing up at Cass. He was sitting across the table next to Gideon, Edgar sitting next to Cass. It was a strange arrangement, but Cass wasn’t going to question him about it.
"I-I’m fine." Cass muttered, glancing at his plate.
"You don’t smell fine. Do you need a different source?" Lucian asked, his gaze sliding to Edgar. "It’s your turn." Lucian told him and Edgar’s gaze widened. He glanced at Cass, his mouth opening before he slammed it shut, his face warming.
"Here?" He asked, his voice up an octave. Lucian furrowed his brow.
"Of course not. Cass wouldn’t like that. There are too many people with good hearing around. I assumed you understood that when you used the carriage." Lucian scolded and Cass wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Edgar let out a tight laugh.
"R-Right. Of course. So, what? Do I just...take a goblet or something?" Edgar asked, confused and Lucian rolled his eyes. He glanced towards Cass, his orange gaze growing warm.
"He likes to drink it from tea cups." Lucian told him, jutting his chin and chest out. He looked like a damn bird showing off. Gideon seemed lost by the conversation, glancing between the trio.
"What does he like to drink from tea cups?" Gideon asked. Cass realised his mistake. If Edgar had been sitting next to Gideon when he asked that question, Edgar would have brushed it off. He was smart. He wasn’t like Lucian who thought that he was bragging. Lucian thought he was taking care of Cass by being open about this since Gideon wasn’t leaving.
Cass knew it came from good intentions. He knew it, because the damn dragon was trying to be understanding of human customs. He knew that, since he was getting better at sincere apologies. That did not mean that he wanted the watch this fucking trainwreck before him.
Cass couldn’t stop him. Edgar couldn’t stop him.
Cass watched in horror as Lucian proudly declared Cass’ worst nightmare.
"What else? He’s a sex demon, idiot. It’s semen, of course. Edgar’s going to go release his seed into a cup for Cass to drink. It’s his favourite snack. Lucian huffed. "You would do well to remember that, especially while I am gone. Cass needs it for his health." Cass put down his cutlery, pushed his plate away and gave in.
He placed his face against the tablecloth and groaned. Fuck everything.
"S-S-Semen?" Gideon sounded horrified. Cass couldn’t blame him. That was a horrifying thing to find out for such a...sheltered man. Amazing, really, that two such people had been in their group. "Edgar’s semen?" Gideon sounded choked. Cass closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead against the table.
A firm hand landed on his back from the left, patting softly.
"Lucian," Edgar began softly, "Cass doesn’t like many people knowing that. You just said that this area has a lot of ears." Edgar reminded him softly. Cass was thankful that at least someone was semi-sensib- "Besides, if Cass wasn’t only attracted to males, which, did we confirm that?" Cass could feel Edgar’s hand pause on his back. "Either way, Cass would also be able to survive on females as well." Edgar pointed out. Lucian scoffed.
"Cass would never. I’ve never seen him, current Cass or otherwise, look at a woman with the same scanning way that he looks at men." Lucian sounded utterly confident.
Cass really wanted the ground to open up now.
"Could we please not discuss this in the fucking dining room? Are you wanting to kill me with embarrassment?" Cass asked, his words muffled by the table.
"Embarrassment? Kill you? I would never want to do such a thing, but we should discuss your care, Cass. I admit that this is not the ideal spot, but you have needs. The same way that I have needs. Yours just happen to require a more personal touch?" Edgar was trying to be sweet, soft. Cass wasn’t buying it.
The table under Cass’ head rattled, forcing him to bump his head against the hard wood. The cloth, thankfully, cushioned the act.
"You are not going out and getting seed from random fucking strangers. I don’t trust them, I can’t trust them! What if they have strange things in their semen, or worse, diseases?! We can’t trust random strangers with Cassy Baby’s health! I know you two are safe, I’ve smelt you enough to know such things. Plus, with Gideon being a damn virgin before all of this, I’m not worried about anything he could have." Lucian was emotional, loud, and Cass had no doubt he was the one who slammed against the table.
The clattering of cutlery from that side of the table told Cass one of two things. Gideon had dropped his cutlery in shock, or Lucian had grabbed his.
Both were possible. Cass got his answer right away.
"Why do you look so damn shocked, Gideon?" Lucian asked, scoffing. "You are, aren’t you? The same way Cass is, right? There’s no shame in it. I’ve seen how this batch of humans treat those attracted to the same sex. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re not a virgin by the end of this hero thing. I could even solve that for you personally, if you’d like?" Lucain’s voice dropped and Cass snapped.
He shot up, glaring at Lucian who was hitting on fucking Gideon of all people. Gideon was as white as a sheet, which was damn impressive since he was already so pale in the first place.
"Lucian." Cass growled, warning clear. Lucian spun, putting his hands up, but his eyes were bright.
"Yes, Cass?" He asked, puffing up his chest as if the simple motion would make Cass’ anger dissipate.
"Are potential bond partners known to hit on anything that breathes?" Cass asked, and watched as Lucian paled.
"Uh...no?" He suggested and Cass snorted, crossing his arms and nodding. His gaze narrowed as he stared at the dragon who he could tell was now getting rather nervous.
"I see. So you’re already aware that your actions are fucked up, and yet you keep doing it? Why are you offering to make Gideon not a virgin? Unless you’re offering for him to take you?" Cass suggested, knowing damn well that the dragon was too top-coded for that to be the case.
Lucian stiffened, his shoulders puffing up in outrage.
"I would never let another man hold me like that." He argued, a rumble in his voice. The table shook slightly from the magic that was emanating from the dragon trapped in a human body. Cass sniffed.
"Never let another man hold you like that, huh?" Cass said slowly, his nose tilting up slowly as he looked at Lucian. Lucian blinked. It took him a few too many seconds to realise what he’d said before he was up, rushing around the table. He fell to his knees on the other side of Cass’ chair, grabbing at his arm.
"Sweetness, that’s not-I didn’t-" He was grasping at straws as Cass sat there, annoyed that Lucian was hitting on fucking everyone, that Gideon was so damn uncomfortable, and after their conversations yesterday, Cass was pissed.
"How the fuck can I trust you if you’re hitting on other men in front of me?" Cass asked, rightfully angry.
Edgar sat there, stunned, and a little thrilled watching this interaction. He glanced at Gideon to see what his reaction was, but he was in shock. He seemed stunned that Lucian was acting this way.
Cass was a little surprised as well. Begging? Really? Did he think it would work on Cass when he’d shut down plenty of others already?
"I would never do it not in front of you!" Lucian said desperately, and that made something dark unfurl in Cass’ chest.
"So you plan to continue to do such a thing in front of me?" Cass asked, glancing towards the other man and Lucian’s expression fell.
"I, uh, I just-" He cut off at the sharp look in Cass’ gaze.
"I understand that you have two appendages between your legs. You do not have to use both of them at the same time, Lucian." Cass’ voice was cold. Very cold. In fact, even the air they were breathing in had dropped several degrees. Cass wasn’t fully aware that he was the one who had done it, but Edgar watched them.
Ready to step in if things went too far.