Cass, full from his breakfast, was a little pink in the face as Sam came into the room while he was cleaning up in the bathroom.
He was blushing when he caught sight of the other man in the room, Edgar helping Sam strip the bed and Cass realised that he’d never seen it done. It just...happened and now Cass realised he had one more thing to thank Sam for.
Edgar was all smiles while looking a little exhausted, and it was then that Cass realised that he was fully dressed. He hadn’t registered when he was uh, busy, and his head hurt, but now that he was more awake, his head wasn’t pounding, and he was upright, he could tell that he was the only one who had been laying in bed, sleeping.
"Good afternoon, my Lord." Sam greeted, his eyes smiling as he looked over at Cass. He wasn’t even making fun of him, he was just genuinely excited to see him. Cass felt his face warm as he glanced at Edgar, who now had his arms full of the sheets, and Sam, who was gesturing to the outfit he had prepared for the day. "You’ll be happy to know that everyone made a full recovery yesterday, and most are in a similar situation as you are, my Lord." Sam beamed. "Breakfast was scarce, with only a few showing their faces. No one is going to tease you." Sam’s smile was warm.
Cass shifted awkwardly, a little uncomfortable that Sam was able to guess where his mind was wandering, but also thankful that he had an aide that knew him that well. Edgar gave a soft sigh, drawing the attention of the other two men.
"Well, now you’ve made me out to be a bad guy, Sam. If I make fun of him now, he’s going to be even more upset." Edgar said, frowning, but his blue eyes sparkling. Cass scowled at the man as Sam also frowned.
"Well then you shouldn’t make fun of him then." Sam said plainly, and Edgar laughed. He tossed a laughing glanced towards Cass, his shoulders still moving with his laughter. His blue eyes creased at the corners, his arms full of their sheets, and his pretty blonde hair catching a beam of light through the curtains.
"How is that possible? When he likes to tease me so much, I have to get back at him when I can." Edgar said and Cass decided that he couldn’t look at the handsome man anymore. He was going to grab him and kiss him otherwise.
"Leave him alone, Sam." Cass muttered. "He’s not exactly wrong. I’m just surprised that I even went as far as I did." Cass admitted. He ran a hand over his face, the headache that had gone away feeling like it was coming back.
"What do you mean, my Lord?" Sam asked, helping Cass undress as Cass stopped in front of him. Cass didn’t want to look at anyone as he got dressed. He did not want to be hard while Sam helped him get dressed right now, and looking at Edgar was not going to help that.
"I mean that I’ve never drank to excess like that before." Cass told him and Sam gave a slow nod.
"I haven’t seen you drink like that before either, but once in a while is acceptable. I think, at least." Sam added, flushing. "I am not telling you what you can and cannot do, my Lord." Sam muttered and Cass felt his lips twitch slightly. He didn’t think that for a second, but it was cute of Sam that he thought he needed to clarify. At this point, Sam had earned his right to give his opinion on what Cass could and could not do.
Cass had already joked about them being blood related. With Sam’s acceptance by Byron and his people, their people, there was no way that Sam was escaping him. They were related as far as Cass was concerned. Byron was his cousin. Cass was pretty sure of it at this point, or, that’s what he felt.
The fairies had made him feel that way thus far, and Cass was a little too scared to ask them if that was true or not. He was just going to live in delusion thinking that they were his family, all of them.
"It’s alright Sam. You’re allowed to suggest a couple of things." Cass said, sighing as Sam helped him dress. Edgar moved around the room, doing things outside of Cass’ view as Sam helped put the finishing touches on his outfit.
Cass was thankful that he was going for an easier to wear outfit, something simple. Well, as simple as Sam could allow. The man had certain standards for how Cass was dressed, and ’plain’ wasn’t one of them.
Even now, in the simple outfit that Cass was wearing, he had puffed sleeves, pearls and other gems sewn into his shirt, and if he turned the right way, he was sure he could start a fire in direct sunlight. He looked like a villain on vacation, which was an improvement when it came to Sam dressing him.
Edgar was a little more...liberal. He let Cass wear other colours, softer shades, but even he would make a face if Cass tried to dress a certain way. However, it was going to be an inside day, Cass didn’t have to wear an elaborate outfit. Especially since he’d missed the whole morning. Who the hell was he going to see today, anyways?
~
Cass headed directly for his office as soon as he was up and dressed. Edgar followed in tow, happy to help him with organising and answering any mail that was directed towards the hero. Cass was happy to have the help. At this point, he trusted Edgar a lot, and the man appreciated the trust.
Edgar had been helping Cass while Sam was away, so it seemed that Edgar had earned a bit of Sam’s trust after he realised how much he had helped Cass while he was gone. So much so that Sam suggested that maybe they should add another desk to the room so that Sam could help them both.
Cass was a bit surprised that he didn’t suggest sending Edgar to the connecting room and opening the doors, but Edgar was delighted with the suggestion.
By mid afternoon, another desk had been brought in from another room, a few things in the temporary office shuffled around, and Edgar’s desk touched the corner of Cass’, leaving a small space where a table full of drinks and treats sat. For Edgar and Cass alike.
Cass wasn’t exactly sure how it had been managed, but it had, and Cass just put his head down and focused on the work he had ahead of him.
The fairies slowly trickled in, as if coming to say good morning to Cass when they could, and then going off to do their own things for the day. It was a rather late start for everyone, and Cass was glad for Sam’s comment upstairs.
He wasn’t the only one who didn’t feel quite right.
Cass’ symptoms came and went throughout the day. He had quite the severe lack of appetite for human food, favouring liquids like tea over anything substantial. Edgar did joke about if it was because of his earlier breakfast, but Cass was sure it was just a side effect of how he was feeling.
After he’d finished blushing and the fairies who were making a temporary home in his office looked on with amusement.
Gideon barely showed his face, which was surprising to both Cass and Edgar. Edgar swore that he’d seen him earlier in the morning, as had Sam, but after a while, Sam realised that Byron was also missing.
The fairies who came to visit said that they hadn’t seen either of them around the common areas of the house, and that also included the nursery tree. Cass wondered if they were in the fighting area that Cass had given to Gideon when he’d first arrived at the mansion, but after sending Sam on a curiousity mission, he found that neither man could be found.
Cass was growing concerned, worried that something bad had happened to the both of them, going through letter after letter of aid requests as both a hero and a financial benefactor when Sam jerked upright, his normally calm expression shifting to one of shock, and anger.
"My Lord, something is wrong." Sam said gravely. Cass blinked, turning his attention towards his aide as Edgar put down his pen. The fairies perked up as well.
"What’s wrong, Sam? Did you find something?" Cass asked, not even flinching at the fact that Sam had that kind of ability.
"Byron is very angry. Very. He’s...quite a ways away." Sam also said. Cass took that at face value, nodding as he turned to Edgar.
"Would it be safe to assume that Byron and Gideon are together?" Cass asked of Edgar, who was staring at Sam. When Edgar turned towards Cass, he didn’t seem completely certain.
"I don’t know. They don’t seem like the kind of men who would leave the house unprotected." Edgar countered and Cass rolled his eyes.
"Unprotected? We still have two knights in the mansion, even if one is with child, and we’re both here. You’re strong enough to fight off most humans, and I’m a freak of nature." Cass said with a shrug. "The knights are mostly for show. Mostly." Cass reminded him and Edgar frowned further.
"Well, maybe if they thought it was going to be a quick outing." Edgar mused. "Can you tell what direction he’s in?" Edgar asked Sam, and Sam gave a quick nod. He pointed in a direction and Edgar followed his finger. He looked serious for a second, before his expression shifted. Anger coated it quickly.
"What is it?" Cass asked and Edgar sighed.
"That’s the direction of the Ridgewood Manor, if I’m correct." Edgar muttered, shaking his head. "Why would he need to go back? We have everything he could need." Edgar muttered. Cass was also confused as to why he would go back either. It was clear to Cass they didn’t like him, but then Cass remembered.
They had asked for him before they had gone into the dungeon. Gideon was the kind of man who would honour something like that. Cass tsked.
"We forgot that they wanted to speak to him before the dungeon." Cass reminded Edgar, getting to his feet. Edgar snarled, his lip pulling up to show off his white teeth.
"Those damn fools. Gideon, if you get Byron in trouble, I swear..." Edgar trailed off, sighing while Sam’s eyes continued to flash.
"I’m coming with you. If Byron gets seriously angry, I might be the only one who can calm him." Sam said, his hands trembling slightly. "I haven’t felt him this angry before though. I don’t know what to do." Sam admitted and Cass, for the first time, realised something.
Sam could feel what Byron was feeling.
Cass halted, halfway out from behind the desk, and without thinking he grabbed onto the back of Sam’s jacket, yanking him back until the man half fell on top of the desk. Cass knew Sam, knew Byron, and remembered where his own mark burned against his skin.
Edgar was sputtering, trying to stop Cass, but Cass was too busy tugging at Sam’s collar until the red, still healing mark was revealed. Cass blinked, stunned, before he stared down into the wide, brown eyes below him.
"You bonded?" Cass asked and watched as Sam’s face turned bright red. He didn’t respond right away and Cass felt an awful twisting of his gut. He couldn’t tell if that was his hangover, or if it was guilt. Had he played a role in this? A bad one?