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Cutting the Cake

Cutting the Cake - 10:05 pm

"David and Leanne gave you a stunning serving set; you should use it; they'd be incredibly flattered," Ashton's father told them, it seemed a suggestion, but the three standing in front of him knew it was anything but. It was an unspoken condition of the bill being paid at the end. He knew they would listen as well because he didn't say any more, turning and leaving.

Michael turned to Ashton and Calum, "does he seriously think I have time to go rifling through all those stupid fucking presents I didn't want, from people I didn't invite, to make people I don't even know happy?" he let it all out in a stream, trying to keep his composure as they stood a few feet away from the triple-layered, white frosted cake that was supposed to be cut some time in the next half an hour, or they would be really pushing it to fit all the evening's events in.

Ashton wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close to his side and rubbing his back in an attempt to reassure him.

"Baby, just try to remember that all these people, this performance means it's free, including our very lush Grecian honeymoon," he smiled at the mention of their honeymoon, kissing Michael's cheek but leaving it too long to be sweet.

Michael hummed, seemingly barely convinced, "if I get sunburnt on this holiday I-"

Ashton cut him off. "Who said you'll be leaving the house?" he pressed another even less innocent kiss on Michael's neck, who giggled this time.

Calum rolled his eyes fondly at them, "you two entertain your guests; I'll go find this knife set; I just need the last name on the card," he told them, turning to leave.

"Leigh," Ashton told him smiling, he turned back to Michael to kiss at his neck again.

"Thank you," Michael told him, giving him a closed-mouth smile.

Then Calum was making his way to one of the many 'staging' rooms around the grand hall. This one had specifically been chosen to house the gifts.

He felt a person's eyes on his back, and he had a feeling he could guess whose they were, Luke. So when he heard someone approaching behind him, he stood holding the door open, their eyes met and Luke smiled, quickening his pace to make it through the door.

"So what has you looking so serious?" he asked, but Calum was already shifting boxes and bags searching in the huge pile.

"A present from people with the last name Leigh, it's a serving set, so it should be flat and not all that heavy," he said, almost to himself.

"Lots of gifts here," Luke said conversationally as he started to aid in the search.

"Lots of rich guests who want to impress Mister Irwin with how flashy they can be. If they were any more obvious there'd be a car in here," he said, rolling his eyes as he shifted a rather large box onto the floor.

Luke hummed, and they were quiet until the silence seemed to either make Luke uncomfortable or bored, "what did you get them?"

"Uh- nothing yet; I thought I would wait and see what they got from everyone else," he explained, and it was a lie; he hadn't been able to find anything that felt enough or right.

Luke made a delighted noise, "this one's from me!" he said excitedly, holding up a long thin box, "it's a key hook that says 'hang your shit'", and he giggled; Calum couldn't help but think it was sweet.

"Why'd you get a present? You're a guest of a guest?" Calum laughed.

"Sierra wasn't getting them anything, and they were paying for me to eat and drink, and I planned on getting drunk, so I thought it was only fair they got a present," he said, laughing.

"Clearly, you don't know Ashton's dad; I wouldn't ever feel bad about spending his money," Calum said and rolled his eyes yet again, "so what happened to getting drunk," he asked, trying to move away from the bitter tone.

"Well, I made out with this guy in the bathroom, and I was only the tiniest bit drunk. So I decided to sober up in case I couldn't control myself and jumped him every chance I got,"

Calum blushed but laughed, "you're being ridiculous," another laugh bubbled out of him, "you couldn't do anything to me I didn't let you," he should have felt embarrassed, speaking so openly, but he didn't; he felt giddy.

"That so?" Luke asked, eyes still searching the mountain of parcels; his voice wasn't dripping with innuendo like it might have been if someone else had said it. It was just clarification, news to Luke.

"Found it!" he said happily, holding up a box just like Calum had described, and Calum came round the table quickly to take the parcel from Luke's hands and unwrapped it, lifting the lid on the iconic blue Tiffany and Co box to have a peek at what was inside. Both a cake knife and server in gorgeous silver, with ornate handles, it was stunning. Calum couldn't help but marvel at it for a moment.

"It's lovely," Luke said quietly.

Calum nodded, almost to himself, before looking up, "thank you," he said soberly, looking at Luke and not so much seeing the other man as he was seeing the way he was looking at him. With soft intensity as though he were seeing right through him and yet not- penetrating or invasive like when some people stared. He faltered for a moment, almost not sure if he should let the words pass his lips, "you could kiss me," he offered quietly.

Luke held his gaze a moment, and then he was tilting his head down to bring their lips together, and he kissed Calum slowly and tenderly. His hand came up to gently hold the side of his face, slowly deepening the kiss until Calum had to take a step back, separating them before it could escalate like last time.

"I-I need to get the serving set to the cake," he said, pulling the Tiffanys box close to his chest. Luke nodded, "I'll uh- see you later?" he asked, clarifying for his own sake that he wasn't reading this all terribly wrong.

Then Calum was leaving the room, and Luke didn't move, staying strangely still, and Calum tried his best to leave the thought behind him as he made his way back to the cake table. Michael and Ashton were still there, though now they were talking to a guest. So Calum waited as the conversation drew to a close, and then he held up the Tiffanys box to them smiling.

"Thank you so much," Michael said, pulling him into his arms.

Ashton rubbed a hand across Calum's back "we owe you; you've done so much for us," he told him earnestly.

"I've got to at least try to make the day perfect even if it's not technically possible," he laughed, pulling out of Michael's arms and opening the box, "it is a stunning set," he admitted taking two cloth napkins from the table. One he folded neatly on the table, and the other he used to pick up the server and knife and delicately lay them across the former napkin.

"You're being pedantic," Ashton told him as he watched.

"I don't want to deal with your dad if the Leigh's have any complaints," they all rolled their eyes but knew it was true.

After that, Calum left and went and told the MC (Ashton's friend from Uni) they were ready to cut the cake.

Michael and Ashton cut the cake in front of their guests, making a point of thanking the Leighs for their serving set. Then Ashton delicately fed Michael a tiny sliver of cake and Michael rubbed his piece all over Ashton's nose and mouth. Something twisted in Calum's gut again.