Lucian wouldn’t let Cass go. He carried him all the way to the rest of the crowd waiting for him, Lucian’s eyes eager and wild as he scanned the crowd. When he found Edgar, he let out a boisterous laugh and also picked up the other man as soon as he got close.
Still holding Cass with one arm, he scooped Edgar up and kissed him as well. Edgar turned the colour of a nearby rose, while Gideon watched on, his eyes narrowed, but his stance relaxed. He was scanning the area around them more than he was watching the two kiss.
Cass, for his part, felt a warmth in his chest at the sight, and the way that Edgar was panting once Lucian was done with him. Edgar pressed a hand against Lucian’s shoulder, shivering as he glared up at the dragon.
"Lucy! Not in front of everyone, thank you!" Edgar hissed and Cass watched as Lucian pouted, sticking out his lips like a fool. He was a damn breath of fresh air.
"Why not? Cassy baby let me, why can’t I kiss Eddie Weddie either?" Cass gasped, Edgar looked absolutely offended, and that was when Gideon stepped in. Swiftly, he crossed the ground, plucking Edgar from Lucian’s grip and placing him on the ground before him.
"It’s good to see you in good health, Lucian." Gideon said warmly, patting Edgar’s shoulder so that he wouldn’t fly into a rage. Edgar still looked like he was going to explode, but with each pat of Gideon’s hand, he deflated slightly. Lucian watched them with interest in those glittering orange eyes, before he slid his gaze to Cass, then back to Gideon. He gave Gideon a slight nod.
"You’ve done well in the time that I’ve been gone. I’m glad to see it. Thank you for taking care of everyone while I was absent." Lucian’s words were sincere, if they weren’t a little frustrating. Cass rolled his eyes, but didn’t take it to heart.
That wasn’t Lucian trying to say that Cass couldn’t take care of himself, it was Lucian acknowledging Gideon and the fact that he could take care of them. He had to wrap his head around that and not get upset. He actually found that he couldn’t. He was too happy that the man was back in his life that he couldn’t feel anger welling up inside of him when it normally might.
Cass squeezed Lucian tightly. He still had his arms around his neck, holding onto him like a damn monkey, and he didn’t care. He really, really didn’t care who saw him right now. Lucian glanced at Cass, seeming a little surprised at Cass’ reaction, or lack thereof at his words.
However, Lucian seemed to brighten more when something that would have made Cass angry before, didn’t. He even purred as Cass raised his fingers up and gently ran them through the shorter hairs at the base of his neck. He glowed under the attention.
"Well, Cass and Edgar have made this an easier endeavour while you were gone. I’ve learned a lot at their hands, and I am grateful for their kindness in making my job easier." Gideon said, his green eyes affectionate as he looked down at Edgar, and then slid his gaze to Cass. When he slid his gaze back to Lucian, there was still affection there, even if it had shifted. "Welcome home, Lucian. It’s good to gave you back. Shall we head inside?" Gideon suggested, and Cass felt how Lucian shifted.
He seemed surprised at the changes in Gideon, and Cass couldn’t say he wasn’t also surprised. There had been a small part of Cass that was worried that Gideon and Lucian would have butted heads. He had forgotten, though, that they’d had a respectful, if not strained, relationship long before Cass had arrived. Gideon was a man who honoured strength, and Lucian had that in spades.
Cass thought back to the man that he had been, and how he had respected those who had shown him respect and had also been strong. There had been a few people in his youth he just wouldn’t have messed with. Their relationship might be born from something similar.
"We should go to the office. So we can catch up." Cass suggested and Sam perked up.
"I’ll go on ahead and make the tea!" Sam announced and Lucian stared at him as he raced away. Byron, who always went with Sam when he went alone, paused as Lucian let out a soft grunt.
"Congratulations, Byron." Lucian told him, and the normally stone-faced, quiet dragon beamed.
"Thank you, Uncle." Lucian froze as Byron followed Sam, the door closing finally behind him. Everyone who remained outside was frozen, Lucian being the worst. His jaw was dropped, his eyes big and shocked, and he looked like they were going to drop out of his face. Even the arm that he was using to hold Cass had gone a little slack.
"Uncle?" He repeated, the word twisting from his lips. He seemed confused, flustered, uncertain. Cass couldn’t blame the dragon exactly. He had heard nothing of this plan, so he had no way to prepare for it or brace for it. Maybe it wasn’t even planned.
Maybe Byron had just decided to do it on a whim, but that didn’t feel like something Byron would do. Cass just had to realise that he had been kept from the surprise. It was annoying. It wasn’t like he would have told Lucian about it. He liked seeing the dragon shocked, surprised, even flustered.
Which was probably while he’d grinned, leaning in closer to Lucian’s face.
"What? Why are you so surprised, Uncle?" He called and watched as Lucian’s nostrils flared, a warm wind washed over him, and the monstrous, orange gaze darted to him. Cass felt pinned by the look for a moment, Lucian’s gaze heavy, before his lips curled up slightly.
"It seems that in my time gone, someone has gained some confidence in themselves." Cass felt his eyes widen in horror as Lucian leaned in close. His lips barely brushed his own, a tantalizing heat building between them. "Good. I love an eager lover, especially when one has grown so handsome in my absence." Lucian’s gaze slid to Cass’ lips, then back to his eyes. "I like what I’m feeling under my hand, Cass. You’ve thickened up nicely." Lucian licked his lips as Cass felt his face burn.
"W-What in the world are you saying? Are you planning to eat me?!" Cass knew his voice was a little shrill, and watched as Lucian winced a bit before he grinned.
"Oh, entirely. I’ve had two full months full of imagining what I was going to do to you when I got my hands on you. You know what a heat does to the mind, Cass. Imagine how I’ve felt? Alone, with nothing but my hand. I’ve ached for you, Cass." Cass felt the promise in his words, his gaze. The heat from it alone made Cass almost imagine it.
Lucian, skin rippling with scales, his teeth clenched, his hands around each dick and pumping them mercilessly. Calling Cass’ name with each release, his muscles strained, those big, perky pecs of his bouncing with the effort. His long, black hair twisting around his shoulders, naked, bare, heat and steam coiling from him.
Cass blinked, his breath stuttering for a moment as his red gaze met Lucian’s again. Lucian seemed a little surprised before a charmed smile curled his lips.
"Oh hello. What do we have here?" He murmured. "What a pretty transformation. Is this new?" He asked and Cass realised that his eyes had remained normal somehow until this moment. Cass flushed, ducking his head.
"Let’s follow Sam and Byron before we make even more of a scene." Cass whispered, embarrassed. Lucian’s loud laughter was quickly followed by movement. Lucian’s soft lips pressed against Cass’ hair, his hand tightening around Cass as he slipped his other hand on him to hold him with a better grip.
"Of course. Let’s head to your den, Cass."
~
It was not lost on Cass that this was the third time that he’d been carried up the stairs in a princess hold. The first time had been a rather unwilling situation with a rather surprised and worried Fiona. The third time he’d barely been himself, a strange medley of Cassian and Cass, no agreement fully made. He’d been the one scared and worried. Now, he was being carried up the stairs not as unwillingly, with a rather surprised and excited Lucian.
Two people, three different times, and it felt like eons ago that it had happened. He knew that the stairs never forgot, nor did this building itself, but it was nice that things had taken such a positive turn.
Cass was actually delighted in the change, even as Lucian’s happy expression shifted slowly as he continued through the house. Edgar and Gideon followed, rather close by, while Sir Forsythe trailed further behind.
"What is going on? Where is everyone?" Lucian asked, confused at the baren halls that normally were bustling with employees. Cass let out a soft chuckle.
"I fired them, or warned them that if they didn’t quit, they would become fertilizer. Those who knew better, fled, those who had done no wrong, stayed, and those who wanted to stay but had to grovel, did so." Cass said proudly. "I was trying not to make a bloodbath this time." Lucian turned to stare at him, raising an eyebrow.
"This time?" He mused and Cass nodded.
"I fed the nursery tree before I left the capital." Cass told him, beaming. "They were very thankful." He felt that out of everyone, the dragon inside of Lucian would be delighted with Cass’ words. He was right.
Lucian lit up, letting out a loud, surprised laugh.
"That’s my man! Oh, I’m so glad to hear that they enjoyed it. How many rats were found?" He asked and Cass gave a shrug. It hadn’t happened all that long ago, but he didn’t care to recall how many had been hiding there.
"Maybe four or five?" Cass said, uncertain. Edgar snorted.
"Sounds about right." He confirmed. Even Gideon just nodded. Lucian beamed. He gave Cass a squeeze, pressing a warm kiss against his forehead.
"Ah, you took a page out of my book. I’m so pleased. Why didn’t you do the same here?" He asked and Cass thought of the several reasons he’d convinced himself of. The loss of life, the burned bridges, all of those things. In the end, there was only really one response worth giving.
"I don’t need that much fertilizer." Cass told him plainly and Lucian laughed loudly. Gideon stepped in front of them, opening the door for them to Cass’ rooms and Lucian beamed, crossing the threshold.
"Oh, you’re really after both of my hearts, aren’t you? Greedy greedy." Lucian teased and Cass blushed. He wasn’t after both hearts. He’d barely realised he wanted one to himself. Lucian was just teasing Cass, stepping into the foyer of Cass’ rooms and about to turn towards the office when Cass spoke up quietly, shocking everyone into stillness.
"I’m not that greedy. One heart will do." Cass mumbled, twisting his fingers together behind Lucian’s neck. His face was warm, even his ears had turned pink he was so embarrassed. "You can save the other heart for others, like Eddie." Cass mumbled, his lips feeling heavy. "I just want one."
The harsh exhale Lucian breathed held every ounce of self control the dragon had. The soft words whispered in a tongue Cass couldn’t understand told him as much as well. Cass flushed. He hoped the other man wasn’t angry at him.