Chapter 47: A loyal playboy
"Why are you doing this?" Cass couldn’t stop his mouth. He was too flustered, and he’d never been in someone’s lap before. This was too much, and he hated that he could feel the outline of his-
Cass wasn’t going to think about it.
Even if he was sure his face was flaming and that Lord Vespertine was up to something. He needed to focus on something, anything else, besides the way the man’s hands felt on his back, or the way that the carriage rocked subtly meant they were rubbing together even more.
Cass was still avoiding looking into his face, doing his best to not provoke him, or antagonize him. Cass was too weak. Way too weak. This was a problem. He’d never been this weak in his real body. Maybe he needed to start...working out or something. Get some meat on his bones.
Cass nearly screamed when Lord Vespertine squeezed the parts of Cass that he had underneath his hands. It was a slightly ticklish sensation, and Cass was horrified to find out that Lord Blackburn was ticklish. Cass had never been, and it felt embarrassing to find out.
Lord Vespertine chuckled, and Cass hated how it sounded like a victorious sound coming from the damn man.
"Because it’s fun?" Lord Vespertine responded and Cass felt rage fill him. Fun? Fun?! This was fun to him? The man was fucking married, and in the story he had been about as dedicated to Lady Fiona as Lord Ridgewood, which was saying something! Lord Ridgewood was practically Lady Fiona’s personal bodyguard, even if she didn’t need one.
While Lord Vespertine looked like the perfect prince, Lord Ridgewood had all the actual behaviours, and had protected her several times in the book, especially from other nobles. He was a silent man, who loved his wife.
Lord Vespertine looked like a playboy, but was supposed to be loyal to his wife. It was a gap thing. Looked like a piece of shit, wasn’t actually one. Well, at least to the person who he chose.
Cass was not that person.
They were brother-husbands. Married to the same lady. They should not be in this position, especially after all the shit that he hadn’t done when everything was going down. Draken, Cass could make a small excuse for after he’d kind of attempted to confront him about it. There had been no way to really get through to him, so Cass had made a concession for him.
The man wasn’t human, had never been human, therefore couldn’t make human sense. Lord Vespertine?
He wasn’t afforded the same beliefs. He was the son of the High Priest of the main religion of this Kingdom, and it had influence outside of the Kingdom as well. He was also the son of a Duke, and had been raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, like Lord Ridgewood. He had to have been immersed in human culture from a young age, especially given that he lived up to his Princely image even now, while being a fucking dick.
His behaviour had no excuse, and Cass could feel his nerves shredding.
"How on this fucking-how is this fun?" Cass demanded, turning his head to finally meet Lord Vespertine’s gaze. He realised as soon as he did that it was a bad plan. His face was too close, and Lord Vespertine had a dangerous smile on his face. Cass had never seen it before so up close and personal. Draken had been scheming, but not like this.
Cass felt his heart race as Lord Vespertine slowly dipped his eyes to Cass’ lips, and on instinct, Cass slapped his hand over his mouth. Lord Vespertine blinked, before his whole body began to shake as he laughed.
"You are so jumpy, Lord Cassian. Are you worried that I’m going to do something to you?" Lord Vespertine asked sweetly, and Cass narrowed his gaze.
"I’m not taking any chances." He muttered and Lord Vespertine bent, pressing his forehead against Cass’ shoulder. Cass hated it, since it felt like the man was wrapping around him. He’d never been this intimate with another human before, and it was uncomfortable. He didn’t think he liked it.
"Lord Cassian, that’s just...I am learning so much about you from pushing your buttons." Cass stiffened.
"So you know you are pushing my buttons, and are continuing to do so?" Cass demanded angrily and Lord Vespertine laughed harder.
"When else am I going to get a chance? Blowing up this carriage isn’t going to help either of us, and Draken has some of your powers tapped down until you are able to control yourself more. That was the whole point of whatever the hell he did to you. Plus, you fell onto me, Lord Cassian. What was I supposed to do? Let one of the most sickly men I’ve apparently ever met fall? That would make me a monster." Cass growled, unable to stop himself and Lord Vespertine pulled his head back to stare at him, pure glee on his face.
"No, most of those things that you could have done would have been fine. What is not fine is that you are holding onto me so tightly that I cannot move back to my seat, and that you-you-" Cass couldn’t even get the words out, and he felt his face go even redder. Lord Vespertine stared at him, a slight flush touching his cheeks.
"Oh, now this isn’t fair. I had no idea you were so cute." Cass felt his body stiffen even more and Lord Vespertine adjusted his hands on his body, smiling widely. Cass hated that even now, with everything that the man was doing to him, that he found him fucking attractive.
Ugh. This was awful.
"Don’t you dare call me cute. We are both married." Cass hissed. Lord Vespertine shrugged.
"What’s a little kiss and touching between brother-husbands?" He suggested mildly and Cass felt his eyes widen.
"It’s a lot, actually! We should not be doing this! While I am married to someone, I am loyal to them." Cass claimed indignantly and Lord Vespertine’s shoulders shook.
"Oh, is that right?" He asked, amused and Cass could feel his nostrils flare under his hand.
"Yes, it is, and I know that as much as you pretend to play around, that you are also very much loyal to Lady Fiona, so stop this nonsense." Lord Vespertine froze, his expression cooling over as he stared at the angry, flustered Cass in his lap.
"How can you be so sure?" Lord Vespertine asked carefully and Cass snorted, rolling his eyes.
"What do you mean how can I be so sure? Do you think I’m an idiot, Lord Vespertine? Or do you think I didn’t notice the way all three of you were fucking pissed that Lady Fiona said she was also going to marry me? Or that I haven’t noticed your behaviour up until now? Do you think I’m incapable of feeling human emotion?" Cass jerked, turning his gaze away, an old anger filling his body. This didn’t feel like it belonged to him, but Cass didn’t mind.
Anger was a familiar emotion to him. A dear, old friend. He would gladly take it in, especially since it appeared that Lord Blackburn had never gotten mad at them for their behaviour before.
"It’s laughable that you never considered why I never interacted with the five of you. Have you especially never considered that I didn’t feel welcome? Who the hell would? You all looked at me like I was a nuisance, especially since there was already you and Draken. Do you think I was unaware of the way that you all tried to convince Lady Fiona not to hire me in the beginning?" Cass laughed humourlessly. "I’m not an idiot. I know the weight of my family name better than anyone else, Lord Vespertine, but I had hoped that people who were supposed to be willing to accept anyone would have treated me differently." Cass sniffed, glaring at the man whose grip had gone lax. Cass felt it was due to shock. "I was wrong, clearly."
Taking the opportunity afforded to him, Cass attempted to break free from Lord Vespertine’s grasp, but the damn man woke up from his shock at the worst fucking moment. Lord Vespertine gasped, as if he had been submerged in water, and his grip tightened on Cass, yanking him even closer until their chests rubbed against each other. Their buttons and fabrics rubbing uncomfortably.
"I had no idea that my behaviour had been so atrocious." Lord Vespertine whispered and Cass rolled his eyes, scoffing.
"No idea? Are you truly going to go that route? Cause I won’t believe that someone as calculated as you would never consider that your actions had consequences. I might give that to everyone else, but not you, Lord Vespertine." Lord Vespertine frowned.
"I had no idea you observed me so closely to know me that well, or the others." Cass scoffed again, the anger twisting in his gut.
"Of course you had no idea. You were too busy trying to get close to everyone else." Cass muttered, before he sighed. He removed his hand from his mouth to run both hands through his hair. He then let them drop to his sides, refusing to touch the man willingly if he didn’t have to. "I am well aware that you and Lord Ridgewood grew up together, so of course you two were going to be close no matter what, I just..." Cass trailed off.
The next words weren’t his to say, and especially now. Even if they were beating against his chest.
Lord Blackburn had been lonely. He’d been excited. He’d been hopeful.
And these idiots had trampled over it all.
No fucking wonder he’d ’gone to the dark side’. They’d practically hadn’t given him a choice. They had profiled him before they had even met him, so every action he had taken was believed to be in bad faith, even when it hadn’t been.
He was exhausted.
He shouldn’t have gotten in the carriage.