(BL) The Villain wants a Divorce!

If there was one thing that was really on Cass’ mind, it was how strange Lucian had been since the punishment incident. The fact that Lucian had run off fairly soon after he’d punished him had Cass a little worried.

While he was glad that Lucian had gone after he’d done so, he still didn’t really like that he’d gone with very little notice to Cass. Was there something more there? Cass wasn’t sure.

He didn’t think that the dragon had much capacity for feeling guilty. He knew that Lucian had felt punished, that much was clear, but it had felt a bit like the dragon had fled when he’d gone to the capital. Maybe speaking to his Aunt, Ailia and Taniora had helped him get his own thoughts in order.

He didn’t have to have just Cass, Edgar and Gideon as his friends. He couldn’t really call Byron a friend because he was more like a nephew than anything else. Give it some time and that might change, but Cass could tell that he viewed Byron like he was eons younger than him. He treated him like a kid brother, not a friend.

Did he want Lucian to rely on him despite what his own personal thoughts were? Yeah, he did. Cass, now that he was blended with Cassian, was far more selfish than he’d been before. It was something that he was gradually noticing. There was a shift in some of his core beliefs. Nothing drastic, and while before when Cass’ feelings and emotions had been changed and it had felt awful, this didn’t feel the same way. Cass could feel Cassian’s intentions behind the changes and it made him feel closer to the other man.

So, there wasn’t really a reason for Cass to deny it. Cass before he’d been blended with Cassian wasn’t possessive in really any way. People could come and go outside of his Sister and he would be fine. Cass after being blended with Cassian? No one could leave without a damn good reason.

It had gotten worse as time went on, and Cass had a feeling his shifting body had a part to play in that as well. The more he became...whole, the more he blended with Cassian. That was fine with him, for the most part. The desire to throw himself at the men at all times was a bit annoying, but easily achieved. They didn’t mind it, and it wasn’t like they weren’t doing the same.

Which brought Cass back to how oddly Lucian was behaving.

It felt like Cass had a lapdog named Lucian, not the ever dangerous Red Dragon who helped create the kingdom that they currently lived in.

Lucian was clingy, very clingy. He would randomly come into his office, after knocking, and then march towards Cass like he was about to deliver some terrible news. That was never the case. It would always turn into the man getting down on his knees or hunching over severely and then shoving his face towards Cass.

Cass’ chest, face, stomach, thighs. The man didn’t seem to care as long as he got attention. Cass didn’t mind, enjoying running his fingers through Lucian’s hair like he was a giant lapdog. He didn’t need to bathe like the others, able to fully refresh himself since his hair in his human form were his scales.

What made this exchange weirder than it already was, was the fact that Lucian would be sniffing the whole time. It was like he couldn’t get enough of Cass’ scent while at the same time rubbing himself against Cass like he was marking his territory. From what, Cass had no idea, but when he did it against Cass’ thighs it made things very awkward for a while after.

Lucian didn’t seem to mind, and Cass only really complained when he rubbed his damn beard against his bare skin. Cass hadn’t worn anything but pants since the changes had begun so he was spared carpet burn on his thighs, but he was sure that at some point during their feedings that Lucian would get a little too clingy and he’d be marked up there too.

When he pulled away, all big orange eyes and a slightly trembling bottom lip...Cass folded. He wasn’t as pretty as Edgar was, but Lucian had a masculine charm that Edgar couldn’t achieve. And abs, but Cass would never tell Edgar about that part. He loved how soft Edgar was too.

Cass was concerned about the behaviour, and wanted to bring it up to Lucian but he wasn’t sure how to do it. If it was right to do it. He knew that he was getting to a point where he’d have to because so far he’d only done it once or twice in front of others, but if it continued...Yeah. Cass was going to have to check in with him and poke him until the dragon spoke about what was going on.

It was clear that something was bothering him, and as much as Cass liked having a giant lapdragon, it wasn’t good for Lucian. If the man continued to be like it after they had their talk? No worries. Cass would just ask him to instead just pick him up and hug him from behind. That way he could get more work done while still spending time with him.

Lucian’s thighs were quite comfy, after all.

The huffing was quite strange, along with the inhaling of Cass’ scent. It was a reminder that Lucian wasn’t quite human and that made Cass’ skin tingle a little.

Cass sighed, reaching up and rubbing his eyes. Damn, staring at all of these papers all the time was going to hurt his eyes. It was nice that Cass didn’t have to wear glasses in this world, but he was on a fast track to getting a pair with the way that he was working. Not that being unable to leave his rooms was helping the situation.

It was a good thing that Cass and Cassian had been loners and introverts long before the changes began to happen. It made all of this easier, and he was still getting human connection through Lucian, Edgar, Gideon, Sam, Byron and Sir Forsythe. That was six whole people. That was a lot when one was an introvert.

It was practically biodiversity for him. His ecosystem was flourishing.

Cass laughed at himself and thought, yeah, maybe not. He was going a bit stir crazy. Pushing back from his desk, he stood, stretching his hands above his head before moving them side to side. It was a nice stretch and he’d wondered how long he’d been sitting down at the damn desk. With everyone gone at the moment, he wasn’t as aware of time or space.

He was going to need to get a clock for when Sam had to leave with Byron. Sooner rather than later too. Maybe he’d message Sir Forsythe to grab one.

Cass turned and grabbed a small sheet of paper inscribed with his initials and crest and wrote exactly what he wanted. He then folded it nicely and headed for the window. It was a simple spell, one that Cass was growing to like. See? Who needed texting when you could send a message like this?

Cass was really coming into his own now that he couldn’t leave his damn rooms.

Sending the letter off, Cass turned back to his office and scanned the room. Yeah, he was going to need to expand his office, which meant he was going to need to expand his chambers. He’d promised a room to the others, and if he was going to expand his office, he needed to give them more space. With Ava’s rooms taken over and with them being on the bottom level, they were useless to him.

What about-

Cass paused, halting as he stared at the wall dumbly. Cass, you damn fool! You can use space magic! You can just magically expand the office instead of knocking down the wall! That way the structural integrity isn’t compromised and everyone can be happy. Hell, you could even give Edgar his own little office inside of the office.

That would be cute, and Edgar would probably like it. The man had been really, really helping Cass out over the last few weeks. Over the last few months. It was a miracle that everything had gone so smoothly and Cass honestly had no idea how he would have been able to do it without him.

Did he tell Edgar that enough? Cass wasn’t so sure. Cass was certain that he didn’t tell those around him how much he appreciated their help and that Cassian certainly wasn’t the kind of man to do so. It was going to be up to Cass to make sure that they understood outside of what they meant to him that they were important to him as well.

Cass felt that those around him needed that the most right now.

All this new life was coming into the mansion. Cass could feel it, and while that was great, he could see the strain on everyone around him. Sam was feeling it, with a tired look coming into his usually calm expression. Lucian with his strange behaviour, and Edgar?

Edgar looked like he was burning the candle at both ends.

Edgar was running himself ragged as Cass’ hands and eyes among the staff. The normally handsome man was hunching over a lot more than he used to. His blue eyes, normally bright, were getting dull and he appeared as if he was getting some bags under his eyes.

When Cass asked if he was going okay he said he was fine, but Cass knew that wasn’t the case. Edgar was just putting on a brave face, and it was why Cass was a little worried to ask Lucian what was wrong.

If Edgar wasn’t answering him honestly, would Lucian? Would Gideon?

Gideon wasn’t doing well either, and that was not good. Especially since it came from Sir Forsythe. Sir Forsythe had come to him in private and let him know that Gideon was pushing himself. That he wasn’t getting enough rest in his opinion and Cass wasn’t sure what to do with that information.

Cass wasn’t fully aware of the situation that Gideon had gotten himself into because he couldn’t leave his rooms and honestly, Lucian was the one who was mostly feeding him right now. That didn’t mean that Cass was going to condone Gideon pushing himself so hard that he got sick. Could he even get sick?

Cass really needed to learn more about saints to make sure he could take care of Gideon properly.

Honestly, Cass needed to learn more about the others to actually take care of them properly. He had no clue about dragons still, and knew a bit more about vampires but not enough. If he wanted to...make this work, he really needed to learn more about them. Cass felt his face warm.

It wasn’t like him to be this optimistic, both for him and for Cassian. It felt...strange, but also nice. Cass felt...hopeful. Even as his body was changing. Even as the world around him continued to change and grow along with it. Even though he was still in charge of all the damn work that Fiona was supposed to be doing instead of galivanting off with her girlfriend.

Damn Fiona and Ava. Cass still cursed their names a little. It wasn’t fair that they could go do whatever the hell they wanted while Cass was...forced to wear Fiona’s damn clothes as his body changed. He really wanted to shove a finger at her and declare this was all her fault for fucking up in the first place, but she didn’t even know that.

How could she know? Cass was the strange one here.

Grumbling, Cass turned to the wall where he thought a door for Edgar’s new office would look nice. It was currently where the lone bookcase was that covered the secret entrance into his office, but he didn’t need that.

He didn’t need a secret torture dungeon until after Byron and Sam came back from Byron’s shed.