Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter seven

Calum had said this was process. It is. He slowly draws information out of Ashton and tries to make the conversation flow over dinner.

"How was your week at work?" Ashton asks softly. They were sitting on the couch in the first floor living space, staring out across the Sydney Harbour.
"It was good. The usual. It's exciting in the motor industry right now because most people's biggest concerns are environment and safety." Calum hums.
"That's nice." Ashton smiles.
"Yeah. We're trying to make a car that won't go if all passengers aren't wearing their seatbelts but that's still a long way off technologically and logistically."
"That's amazing!" Ashton grins, before thinking that he was much too loud and shrinking with a blush on his cheeks. Calum chuckles.

"I've been meaning to ask you, do you have your license?"
"Yeah, got it a few months after my 17th."
"Do you have a car?"
"No..." Ashton says questioningly. Calum leans forward and grabs Ashton's hand before continuing.
"How about," the older starts slowly, "tomorrow we go to my big garage and you can pick any car you'd like to be yours."
"I-" Ashton chokes a little, pulling back in shock.
"What is it darling?"
"I couldn't possibly take a whole car from you." Ashton shakes his head.
"Do you-"
"No." Ashton shakes his head again and the look of pure fear in his eyes really concerns the dom.

"What is it? Tell me why don't want a car. I'm not mad. I just want to understand." Calum does his best to keep his voice as steady and soothing as possible
"They're gonna make fun of me for it." Ashton says weakly. Calum stays silent, giving him the space to continue at his own pace. "If I go to school in a nice new Hood car then I'll stand out and- I just can't do it." Ashton completely crumbles. Calum takes a chance and scoots closer, pulling his sub in for a hug. Ashton initially tenses but soon relaxes and allows himself to be comforted by the warm, strong arms around him.

When Ashton submits himself, let's Calum care for him, it's the first time he's felt truly comfortable with the idea of letting Calum become his everything. He likes that. The longer he's around Calum the more at peace he is with the DFD's results.

Calum still takes Ashton to the garage the next day but is content with him not taking the car home for now. He wants Ashton to know it'll always be there for his use. Calum also wants to change his car.

The biggest downfall of this house when he bought it was that it had just one double garage. He keeps his collection of twelve cars in a garage at his office building, though there's also a plethora of other vehicles, it is a car company after all, and each day changes which car he takes home at whim.

Deciding he doesn't want to stand out if he ever were to take the car back home, Ashton chooses a modest white sedan -not as high end as the one Calum drove the day before. Calum swaps his black car for a silver SUV.

Calum drives Ashton home that afternoon but makes a point of keeping the conversation light and comfortable. He and Ashton have had a few more serious chat over the last 24 hours and the last thing he wants to do is emotionally drain the younger boy.

"What subjects are you doing for your HSC?" Calum asks.
"Oh uh; Health & PE, Maths, Music, Visual Design and English of course." Ashton replies, still feeling more awkward than he should.
"Ah, creative. Do you play an instrument?" Calum hums.
"Drums mostly. A little guitar and even less piano. I sing a bit too I guess."
"Very talented darling, perhaps I'll have to invest in some more instruments."
"More?" Ashton inquires.
"I know some guitar, played in high school but I'm very out of practice. I have a few. Acoustic, electric, bass. Bass is my favourite."
"That's really cool." Ashton blushes, overwhelmed because he's still not sure how on earth he got himself such a good dom.

"Ask me something now." Calum presses on when there's some silence in the car. It's not that he's against silence per se it's just that he wants to take every opportunity, at this point at least, for he and Ashton to get to know each other better. Ashton seems to be caught very off guard by the question and fumbles over his words for a few seconds before blurting out the first thing his brain can piece together.
"What subjects did you do for your HSC?"
"Maths, business, music, economics and English." Calum chuckles. "I already knew what I'd be doing for the rest of my life so I had to think of that, lest I want to run my father's company into the ground. Then the music was just my fun escape subject."

Ashton hums, seemingly thinking over his dom's words.
"Was that weird?" Calum quirks an eyebrow at his sub's poorly worded question. "Like," Ashton mulls over the words a little longer. "Always knowing what your life had in store for you? Not having a choice? Was there no one else who could do it?"
"I could have said no if I really wanted to. I have two sisters and we were all given equal access company but they didn't want it. It's not for everyone. If it wasn't for me then my father could have, begrudgingly, handed it to someone else had my sisters not eventually come around. Or I could outsource all the work I do. When I first took over a year ago I remember being endlessly stressed for weeks. I would complain to my mother and said that there was not a chance I could devote my life to this like my father had. She forced me to stick it out at least six months and what can I say, mother knows best. I genuinely love the work that I do these days."

It's after an hour long trip, nearly identical to the one they did the day before, that they're finally pulling up at Ashton's small weatherboard house so far out of Sydney it's nearly in a small town of its own.

"I-I've enjoyed myself." Ashton smiles shyly as he reaches for the door handle, slowly becoming more sure of his words
"That makes me very happy to hear. Please text me or call me if anything happens at school, okay?" Calum replies, turning serious for a moment and accepting Ashton's wordless nod as an agreement.

A/N: hi kids I don't love this chapter but because next chapter is when things start to get interesting I'm gonna double update for youuuuuu

All the love for everyone; the support means so much to me.

-Grace Williams xo