Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter nineteen

"That was exactly what I needed." Calum sighs contently he steps back into his office after lunch, ready to prepare for this meeting with the supplier companies. The meeting yesterday afternoon and this morning was with his own staff about suppliers but this meeting was with said suppliers.
"Hopefully the other thing you need is the knowledge that, after 20 fucking minutes, I convinced one Tony Riersack to let that Cory shithead to go back at school on Friday." Maggie gripes, slightly bitter but proud of herself nonetheless.
"That is good." Calum beams, settling into his chair in the conference room and preparing for this supplier meeting.

Calum breezes through the supplier meeting, the preparation for the safety meeting and then the safety meeting which such focus he impresses both Maggie and himself.
"Congratulations. You just went nearly five hours without mentioning Ashton at work." Maggie smirks as she and Calum pack up the conference room.
"Because," Calum grins, "I had work to do. And now, I can call him without you complaining that I'm about to send the whole company under."
"I-"
"Relax," he chuckles, "I'm not mad. You're good for me Mags, and dear god we know I'd be doomed without you."

"That is exactly right. Now, are we staying or going?" Maggie's aggrees as they head back to their respective desks.
"I'm gonna stay and do analysis for another hour or two, catch up on time I've lost. You're free to go." Calum explains as he sits in front of his computer.
"Okey dokey, if you're sure."
"Yep, see you in the morning."
"Bye." Maggie sing songs as she steps into the lift and the doors slowly close.

"Hi." Ashton breathes out happily when he picks up the call from his dominant at quarter past 5.
"Hey Darling, how are you?" Calum says, instantly happy now that he's talking to his sub again.
"Good. Did you, um, did you get the thing sorted?" Ashton asks nervously.
"I did, he'll be back Friday, but I don't want you thinking and worrying about that. How was today without him? How was everyone else?" Calum wants to know if getting rid of the pack leader calmed down the rest of the pack.
"They were saying more stuff still. They didn't get physical at all, I think because they were scared of being suspended, but the words were... worse." Ashton says hesitantly.
"Oh sweetheart that's awful. I hope that tomorrow's better for you." Calum frowns, infuriated by the fact everyone else at Ashton's school still seems to be demonic.

"Why do I next get to see you again?" Ashton hums.
"Less than 48 hours now Sweets, picking you up from school on Friday. What made you ask?"
"I- we're soulmates. Our souls are meant to be together. I never want to leave you." Ashton's voice is quiet, soft and vulnerable. Calum feels his heart grow a few sizes and feel overwhelmingly full in an exceptionally satisfying way.
"Our souls are together Ashton." Calum finally says. "Even if we're not physically together, we're still together. But hey, how about, on Friday, we can talk about you staying over more."
"I'd really like that." The younger smiles.

Calum and Ashton stay on the phone as Calum analyses reports and graphs and Ashton does his homework. There's a lot of comfortable silences. They just like the feeling of having each other there. Of knowing that their soulmate is with them. There's a few times where one of them goes to say something to fill the sound void but then they look down, see that call is still connected, and sit back with their mouth remaining shut.

It's close to 6:30 when Calum starts getting ready to leave. Ashton hears the rustling through the phone and is instantly curious. "Just getting ready to leave work" Calum mumbles, putting Ashton at ease. They remain in their content presence of each other over the phone as Calum drives home and as he starts cooking dinner, Ashton giggling when Calum starts talking to himself about what he should eat.

It's only when Ashton's mum calls him for dinner around 7 that they agree it's probably best if they hung up.
"Enjoy dinner and goodnight sweetheart, we'll talk later." Calum says fondly.
"You too. Goodnight Cal." Ashton replies, reluctantly hanging up the call and then going into dinner with a blissful look on his face. Harry and Lauren don't seem to notice but his mother does, though she doesn't say anything. She's just ecstatic that her son's found such a perfect soulmate.

Everyone has a soulmate, even she did, but the presence of a soulmate doesn't make everyone a good person. All she's ever wanted for Ashton, and in fact all of her children, was someone better than their own father.

Calum finishes cooking then sits down and stares out at the harbour as he eats. Ashton said he wants to spend more time here and Calum wants that too. He imagines the way Ashton would giggle right next to him when he starts talking to his pantry. They way they would cook dinner together. Eat together with a view of the opera house in front of them and their thighs nearly scraping under the table.

Then the way they would knock into each other a little as they put their dishes away and headed up stairs to bed. How they wouldn't need to say anything as they got in their pyjamas and brushed their teeth. Like tonight, they'd be comfortable just knowing the other one is present. Just knowing that their soulmate is there. Knowing their soulmate is here. With them. For them.

It's a comforting thought. Calum goes through his nightly routine, glancing his eyes over the house and seeing everywhere Ashton is yet to leave his mark. All the places he will leave his mark in the weeks, months and years to come.

Calum - Ashton: Goodnight Sweets. Sleep well.

Ashton - Calum: Goodnight xo

Calum - Ashton: xoxo

A/N: this is so soft I love them more than anything else exceptttttt for the love y'all keep giving to this story. It means more than you know.

-Grace Williams xo