Chapter 677: Joint reading (suggestive)

Cass had taken his time picking out the book he wanted to read. He was thorough, since he had no idea what these books were about and he was always this serious when picking out a next book. Lucian and the others let him, watching him with bemused expressions as he did so.

He was ready for them to make fun of him, but they never did. Instead, Lucian followed him around with a bunch of grapes, feeding him one by one as he read the details about the books, found out more about them, before deciding on a book that was between two men where one was a fairy and the other was a wereperson.

He hadn’t read a lot of those books here, and it seemed like it would be interesting.

"Should I be worried?" Lucian joked, staring at Cass warmly. Cass flushed.

"What do you mean?" Cass asked as he held onto his book tightly. Lucian reached out a long finger and tapped the cover.

"That book has another race that you haven’t involved in your little collection. Should I be worried that you want to add another to our little group?" Lucian asked. Cass stared at him, not fully comprehending what he was saying until it clicked. He gasped, his chest expanding as anger filled him.

"Lucian!" Cass shouted, while Lucian stepped away, laughing. "Don’t even joke about that!" Cass yelled, flustered. "I can barely handle the three of you, yet you want me to add another? Are you out of your mind?" Cass demanded and Lucian chuckled, smiling.

"Well, now would be the time. If you wanted to add someone now, I’d be more open to it. After this point?" Lucian let out a low, dangerous growl. "I’m not going to be as open to it." Lucian admitted. "So? Is there anyone else that has caught your eye?" He asked and Cass stared at the dragon.

He was shocked. Appalled.

"Lucy, this is a fantasy book. Besides, I get enough of my fill from you-" Cass shut his damn lips. He sealed them actually, while Lucian’s eyes went wide, Edgar let out a tinkling laugh, and Gideon remained silent. Lucian, surprised, stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Is that right?" He murmured. He looked away from Cass, thoughtful, as Cass felt like he was going to explode. He hadn’t meant to say that. Even if Lucian knew it was true, they didn’t need to talk about it. "You really like it when I shift, huh?" Lucian murmured, turning that bright, orange gaze towards him. The small smile that touched his lips had Cass turning a brighter shade of red. "You’re just a little freak, hmm?"

"He’s our freak. You forget how hot and bothered he gets when he sees my fangs, Lucy." Edgar piped up from the bed and Cass couldn’t help it. His body moved, giving the other man the finger, and Edgar laughed. "Awe, I love you too, Cass." Edgar teased. When Cass glanced over at the man he was smiling warmly, looking at him in the same way that Lucian was looking at Cass.

With love and affection. That didn’t make this moment easier.

"We’ll have to save it for special occasions, hmm? Should we call it horn riding Sundays?" Lucian asked and Cass dropped his jaw, staring at the dragon. He was fucking serious, which was the worst part.

"Lucian Draken, are you being serious right now?" Cass demanded.

"Sundays might not be the best day. What about Saturdays?" Gideon suggested, ignoring Cass’ words and taking Lucian very seriously. "Give everyone an extra rest day if we aren’t busy on the weekends?" Gideon offered. Lucian let out a low, appreciative rumble.

"That’s very thoughtful of you, Giddy. How about we do it every second Saturday so that it doesn’t become boring to dear little Cass? Can’t have his attention wandering, even with the three of us." Lucian chuckled. "Isn’t the max amount of partners you can have like five?" Lucian asked. Edgar answered.

"Ten, actually, but that’s only if the first three have been unable to provide an heir." Edgar replied and Lucian gave a loud snort.

"Oh no. We might be in danger, boys. I don’t think either of us can get pregnant." Lucian joked. Edgar gave a soft laugh.

"Well, we don’t know. Cass has been trying rather hard to get me pregnant." Edgar replied and Cass felt his face burn. He closed his eyes, disbelieving that this conversation was happening right now. There was a part of him that wanted to protest, deny that he even liked it, wouldn’t participate, throw a huge fit and end the discussion. That part was definitely related to Cassian.

Caspian, however, while he was reacting to their words...he was far more realistic.

"So are we talking next week or the week after?" Cass asked, unable to meet their gazes as he asked the question. That was one thing he wasn’t capable of doing. Lucian’s chuckle grew closer until his hand touched Cass carefully, his fingers slipping around Cass’ throat until it cupped the back of his neck. He squeezed warmly.

"What would you like?" He asked, his voice low. Cass shivered.

"N-Next week." Cass admitted, being honest with himself. Lucian’s lips touched Cass’ forehead, a purr emanating from his lips.

"Then it is next week." He promised. "Gideon, do you need us to wait for you to pick out a book as well?" He asked.

"I was planning to read over Cass’ shoulder." Gideon told them and Cass gave a small nod. Alright, so, that was handled and now...Now it was time.

~

Cass’ face was warm, his body thrumming with heat and desire while also remaining rather...collected. The first little bit after they’d finally settled on a...comfortable position was hard to adjust to. He’d wiggled too much, his body wanting to tease and beg Gideon to move.

It was Lucian and Edgar who had been rather stern with him, kissing him off of the edge so that he could live out the practise round without ruining it.

Gideon’s hot breath fanned the back of Cass’ neck and Cass did his best to remain collected.

"Have you finished the pages?" He asked softly and Cass nodded. "Me too." Gideon told him and Cass slowly flipped the pages.

This was the hardest thing for him to grasp. Reading a book with another person was not something Cass ever considered that he would do. He’d never had someone close enough, or someone who was interested in the same kinds of books as him where they would do something like this.

He would have rather died than read like this with his sister. Absolutely not.

Gideon was originally the last person he thought he’d read a romance, smutty book with, and yet, here he was, appearing to enjoy himself as he rested his hands on Cass’ hips. It was a relaxed hold, even if Cass felt like at any second the man was ready to grab him and thrust him up and down on his cock, that wasn’t what was happening.

They were chest to back, leaning against the pillows on the bed, cuddled and intimate. Nothing beyond that.

It was...actually quite nice. The desire that Cass had, had always had of being full while doing work was being scratched by having Gideon inside of him as he read. Cass wiggled his toes, his legs on top of Gideon’s on the bed. They weren’t covered with a blanket, Cass running hot still from what they were doing.

He felt full, his body was lax, and he had a warm Gideon behind him. This was nice.

Edgar and Lucian were beside them to the left and true to his world, Lucian was getting Edgar used to cuddling. Lucian had turned them so that they were facing them, Lucian’s back to the open air of the room while Edgar was facing them. Edgar’s eyes were fluttering, the man attempting to stay awake as the dragon heater, Lucian, wrapped around him like a damn snake.

He’d shoved his leg in between Edgar’s, hugging him around the chest and hips, and had forced Edgar to use his arm as a headrest. Something that Cass was familiar with as Lucian curled his body around him, practically consuming him with his own body.

Cass often slept like that, wrapped up in a Lucian cocoon while Edgar pressed against his front. It was kind of nice to see someone else get the treatment, especially when that person was Edgar.

Edgar had protested at first, wiggling, squirming, trying to get away from the hold. It was like his fight or flight had kicked in, but Lucian had gentled him, calmed him, peppered his cheeks with kisses until Edgar had finally relaxed.

Cass and Gideon were about 40 pages in and Edgar was barely staying awake. Cass smiled at the sight, warmed in ways that were hard to put into words. When Lucian met his gaze, he found the man smiling as well.

"How is the book?" Lucian asked, his gaze slipping to Gideon as well.

"Good so far. There was a jump in the plot where I don’t understand how they suddenly started kissing, but it’s a romance novel. That is something that does not always need to be clarified." Gideon answered seriously. Cass chuckled.

"They kept glancing at each other, building up the tension. They didn’t kiss suddenly, they stopped resisting it." Cass explained. Lucian listened to Cass and Gideon discuss the book as they had read it so far, smiling at their banter.

This was what Cass had wanted. Calm, peace, relaxation. He wasn’t even aware of how his own tiredness was getting the better of him as time went on. The book dipped in his hand, over and over, until Gideon plucked it from his hands and pressed a kiss against his temple.

"Sleep, Cass, if that is what you need." He whispered. "We’ll be here when you wake." Cass wanted to argue, wanted to put up a fight. He even wanted to argue that Lucian wanted to do this first, but he couldn’t find the strength to open his mouth. Tired, lulled into sleep by the calm around them, Cass nodded off on Gideon’s chest.

"Lucky bastard." Lucian grumbled, no heat to his words as he smiled at Gideon. "Need a blanket?" He asked and Gideon gave him a peaceful smile.

"If you wouldn’t mind. I don’t want either of them getting cold and I don’t run as hot as you do." Gideon replied. Edgar and Cass weren’t even aware of how well the other men got along, or how sweet their interactions were. The two men kissed the smaller men they had wrapped around them, Gideon feeling better once Cass was covered with a blanket, and relaxed.

This was a nice way to spend time together.