Gideon roused Edgar, helping him get ready enough that he could say goodbye to Lucian. He was drowsy, with his big hat on and his pajamas that covered every inch of skin that they could.
He kind of looked like a hungover aunt on a vacation who had come out to see all the drama going on. At least the ones that Cass had seen on t.v.
He was blinking a lot, bleary, but quickly woke up as soon as he realised what was going on. Edgar’s expression shifted from sleepy, to alert. His eyes sharpening, his jaw tightening as he swallowed, glancing between the rather somber looking Cass with pink cheeks, and Lucian. Lucian had a light smile on his lips, his eyes bright.
There was a tension in his body as he stood next to Cass. The man was not well, but he was keeping it together while the others gathered. Cass swallowed. The happiness from the moment that they had just shared tasted a little bitter in his mouth as he remembered that the man was leaving again.
He’d temporarily forgot.
"It’s time?" Edgar asked. Lucian nodded. He held out his hand and everyone watched as his hand reflected back the dragon scales, his skin shimmering in the light.
"If I push it off any longer, I might shed and turn into a beast and attack you three. I would hate to do that." Lucian admitted. "I’ve stayed longer than I should, but this was a good experience and I don’t regret it. Now I know how Cass felt when he pushed back his heat." He turned back to Cass with a wink. "I’ll make sure to pamper you when I come back." He told him and Cass felt his face warm.
"You don’t need to do that." Cass shot back quickly and Lucian let out a bark of laughter.
"Mm, it sounds like I do." He replied, grinning. Edgar hesitantly reached out, grabbing onto Lucian’s arm and giving it a squeeze.
"You’ll stay safe?" Edgar asked carefully and Lucian’s expression softened.
"Of course. I wouldn’t want to come back to you three in several pieces." Cass reacted to those words, even if they were a joke, violently. He jerked, before he smacked Lucian’s chest. Lucian seemed surprised by the sudden action until he saw the hard look in Cass’ eyes.
"Don’t even joke about that. You’re going to be away for two months, and we don’t know where you’ll be. Don’t joke like that." Cass’ voice was hollow, serious, and Lucian reached out and pulled Cass in for a hug. Cass was stiff, hard against the warmth of the other man and before long, Edgar’s arms, and a rather confused Gideon was also involved in the hug.
"I’m sorry. I was just trying to cut the tension." Lucian whispered.
"You did a terrible job of it." Cass whispered back. Lucian’s chuckle vibrated through all of them.
"Yeah. I can tell." He said. They stayed in this awkward huddle puddle for a while until eventually, Lucian sighed. "I have to go now." Lucian said, and the others pulled back. Lucian stepped back, scanning all three of them with a concerned, sad look. "I’m sorry I have to leave. It just wouldn’t be smart to do it at any human abode." He told them. Cass didn’t want to hear his reasons.
They all sounded like excuses to him, even if he knew that wasn’t the case. He was just upset that he was leaving.
"It’s okay. We understand. Travel safe. We’ll be here when you get back." Cass told him. Lucian nodded, and then he turned and shimmered. Between one second and the next, a giant red dragon filled the air and off he went.
Cass crossed his arms, frowning deeply as he stared up at the sky, his emotions raging inside of him but he did his best to keep them down. Edgar reached out, pulling Cass against his side without asking him if it was okay. Cass didn’t argue as he felt the other man hold him closer.
"He’ll be fine. He’s strong, remember?" Cass did remember, the same way he remembered how he had looked when he saw Taniora. The shock, the way he was unable to move. He was strong, but he was also...alive. Able to make mistakes. Cass couldn’t exactly say he was human, but he was to Cass.
"He’s only doing this to protect us. You, specifically, Cass. He’ll come back and be bigger and better." Gideon told him, trying to sound comforting. Cass flinched. Bigger? God, fuck, Cass did not need the man to be bigger. No one did.
"Let’s just get moving. We have a long day ahead of us, and an ever longer week. We have so much to do." Cass muttered. Edgar squeezed Cass’ waist, and Cass slid his gaze towards him.
Edgar was smiling at him softly. His eyes were also a little sad, but Cass could tell that he was controlling himself for Cass’ sake, and probably Gideon’s as well. Cass knew that Gideon wasn’t affected by Lucian’s departure in the same way as Cass and Edgar were, but it was clear he still cared. Especially about Edgar.
Cass winced as he realised he was about to third wheel Gideon and Edgar for the next two months. Lucian had the ability to bring them all together, while Cass didn’t have that ability. So, Cass was just going to watch them be happy and cute for the foreseeable future until Lucian came back.
Cass turned away from the others, going to start packing up his tent quietly.
~
Cass knew that nerdy, physically capable gay boy Gideon was smart, and liked to read, but Cass didn’t realise that he had a wealth of knowledge that he never elaborated on because it was fucking weird. Really fucking weird.
As Cass and Edgar roamed the small fishing town with him, the smell pungent in a way that Cass had never experienced before, Gideon was basically their front. Normally it was Edgar, or formerly, Fiona, but this time? Gideon embraced being the one who spoke for the hero party whole-heartedly.
Cass had never considered that the quiet red head might be outspoken and involved, but he was wrong. The man was getting along with fishermen who had been working twenty years on the water, if not longer, like they were old friends. Cass sat back in wonder, unsure how something like this could happen.
Even Edgar was mildly surprised, but only mildly. When Cass asked him why he wasn’t more surprised, he simply shrugged.
"The last time I had an encounter like this, it was about swords. I’ve had my fair share of moments with this man doing things I didn’t expect. Let’s just say that him turning on us was a rather unexpected moment for me." Edgar said quietly as they watched him chatter to the common folk of the town.
When the others noticed, they were immediately regretful, apologising like Cass and Edgar, nobles just like Gideon, would get upset and punish them. Cass instead gave a rather dismissive hand wave.
"Please, don’t feel bad. I feel apologetic that I can’t speak to you in the same language that Gideon is capable of doing so. If you feel more comfortable speaking to him, by all means, do so." Cass told them. They seemed rather surprised by his response, and were even more surprised when Edgar backed him up.
So, Gideon was left to temper the common folk while Cass and Edgar spoke to the noble in the area. Also someone who used Cass’ or Cassian’s money, but one of the good ones. He made sure to put the money back into the town for his people. He even apologised because he wouldn’t be able to make his payment on time, and that was when Cass pointed out a clause in his contract for the repayment. One that the terrible nobles took advantage of.
There was a clause that if a dungeon showed up in the surrounding area, there was a grace period for repayment. The noble was grateful, and thankful, and Cass was just glad that there was a noble in the area that actually cared about their own people.
Cass made sure to make a note to send more money to them, without a payment date or anything for him to worry about. He would probably have to do it anonymously. Maybe he would use his real name so that it wasn’t lost, and that he could do kind acts without getting a lot of shit for it?
Not from Gideon, Lucian or Edgar, but from Nobles who were greedy and stupid and thought that he was just giving out money for the sake of giving out money. This area earned it, and as Cass, Edgar and Gideon sat down in the ’best seafood restaurant’ in the area for lunch, Gideon told them about all the things that the people needed, and how grateful that they were for what they had done.
Cass also learned that the boat that had been hurt hadn’t been from them, but from a stupid idiot noble nearby who wanted to take over the territory and that the good noble was fighting off. Cass was happy to lend a hand to tell the other noble to fuck off.
Cass gave Gideon some change that he had shoved into the blue bag, of course checking in on Taniora at the same time, and told him to give out the money to the people who he had spoken to, and to let them know that they could ask their lord for more from Lord Blackburn and that it was alright to do so, within reason.
He also made it so that it was easier for them to do so by using the shitty noble nearby as an excuse. Cass made up a lie that the man had been rude to him once, and as a Duke, he wanted to engage in some petty fun to fuck him over. Gideon and Edgar agreed that would take out the sting of offering them money.
Cass also found out that he did like seafood, which was a good surprise, and that it wasn’t something that he had to be concerned about when it came to his food issues. Not even a whiff of blessings nearby, and Edgar explained that easily.
Fish and all seafood were not to be blessed by the gods since they were not land-based animals. They were water based, and thus, did not belong to all of the gods. They only belonged to the old gods. That was interesting lore for Cass to learn, and then kick himself over.
He could have been eating seafood this whole time, but he had no idea that he could. Damn it Cass, or Cassian. That was such a simple thing to miss.
Edgar then went on to explain that things that were bad for them, like alcohol and sugar, were also not blessed. That would explain why Cass was able to eat candies without any issues either.
Slowly, little things were coming together as time moved along. Now Cass just had to get back to his house in the capital, make sure that nothing terrible happened, and get Taniora back to where she belonged.
Then plot a few things, but when was Cass’ plate for plotting ever empty?