Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter fifty three

Calum and Ashton were standing on Maggie and Carla's doorstep by 6:02pm, early by proper social conventions but appropriate given the closeness of Maggie and Calum's relationship.
"Hi! Come on in!" Carla beams as she throws the front door open, dramatic enough to cause a spectacle.
"Hey," Calum smiles widely.
"Hi." Ashton waves shyly from behind as they step into the small but nice house. It's a narrow terrace house, only one suburb from the city. Kitchen, living and dining downstairs with two bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. There was also a studio in the backyard that they used as a study.

The three walk through the living room into the kitchen/dining to find Maggie intently focused on whatever was cooking on the stove.
"How's it going?" Carla asks, snaking her arms around Maggie's waist and resting her chin on her dom's shoulder. After all, Carla was tall -just below 6 feet.
"Good." Maggie hums. "Just about ready, sort drinks then we'll eat."

"What can I get you guys to drink?" Carla offers, stepping towards the fridge.
"I'll have a wine, anything at all." Calum replies.
"Prosecco?" Carla hums, head in the fridge.
"Sounds good. You want some Ash?" Calum asks his sub.
"Maybe a halfer?" Ashton supplies, to which Carla nods and pours the wine for them all -less for Ashton.

"Right! Dinner's done!" Maggie calls out, stepping away from the stove to momentarily take a breath and admire her handiwork.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Calum says as Maggie picks up the large pot, filled with fettuccine carbonara.
"No no, just sit down and enjoy." Maggie brushes him off, gesturing to the round dining table. They all sit down and one by one help themselves to a serve of pasta. Conversation flows but remains easy and light hearted throughout dinner, though Ashton doesn't say a lot. The youngest is fixated on Carla's collar. It's not something he ever imagined himself wearing but now he's a little obsessed with the idea. Any romantic submissive would be.

A collar was what a dom proposed with, some had charms or tags and some didn't. Some subs got engagement rings as well but they weren't as common. Then there was the wedding rings, worn by both doms and subs, but they were less exciting. Collars could be so beautiful and personalised. Carla's collar is a deep purple silk with a bow at the back. Simple but effective and Ashton loves the classic and simplistic nature of it, he thinks it's stunning.

"Ashton? Do you wanna go talk with Carla out the back?" Calum asks, for a second time because Ashton was so caught up in his own head.
"Oh. Yeah." Ashton blushes, embarrassed.
"Let's go." Carla smiles reassuringly, standing up from the table and leading Ashton through the small yard to the separate studio -mostly used by Carla as a study.

"So, what can I do for you?" Carla asks, instantly getting to the point as soon as they're settled in the two armchairs near her desk.
"I- wow okay, right to the point." Ashton mumbles.
"I don't see why we should dance around anything." Carla shrugs.
"First off, I don't feel like I can provide Calum with anything. I thought I would be a dom, you know that, and all my life I've been providing for others. Giving them something, taking care of them.  With Calum, and not even my younger siblings around, I have nothing to give." Ashton stresses, head in his hands.
"That's normal behaviour for a sub." Carla informs him. "I mean, subs like caring for others. We just do it differently to doms. That's why subs want children most of the time, because that's the sort of gentle care that subs are best at."

"You don't have children. Do you want any?" Ashton says curiously, not sure if it's inappropriate but he can't take it back now.
"I don't think so. We both like children but aren't sure if we want our own. I'm a teacher, that satisfies my submissive instinct to look after others." Carla replies thoughtfully. 
"But what you're telling me is that there's nothing I can do to provide for Calum?" Ashton groans.
"You both feel best when the other is happy, so you just need to understand that if you're happy and content then Calum is -because it works the same the other way doesn't it?" Carla smirks knowingly.
"Oh. Yeah." Ashton smiles in realisation.

"Exactly. Now, the advantage of you having one of the richest men in the country as your dom means that you will never have to pay for bills or anything," Carla says flippantly. "That means that if you start earning your own money then you can spend it on anything, including Calum."
"So buy him gifts?" Ashton furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
"Not necessarily. You could buy him gifts, or do the grocery shopping for instance. In summary, you don't need to provide for him but you can. Also, he's stressed about not providing enough for you."
"I-"
"Promise." Carla cuts him off.

The room goes quiet, Ashton deep in thought. He's processing everything Carla just said to him. He was right in his decision to come to her for advice, he's sure of that much.
"I saw you staring before." Carla ends the silence, though her voice is quiet and soft.
"I just-" Ashton blushes and cuts himself off, not sure what defence he could possibly come up with.
"It was at my collar wasn't it?" She clarifies, to which Ashton just nods. "What were you thinking about?"
"I never imagined wearing one, though in retrospect I always thought they were beautiful. Now, seeing yours and other ones all over the city, I'm worried I'm becoming a little obsessed. They're just... so pretty." Ashton speaks a little airily, getting lost in his thoughts.
"They can be, for sure. I love the simplicity of mine. You'll probably get a ring too though." Carla laughs at the end.
"Oh- I- do you really think so?"
"Of course! All subs get engagement collars but the rich ones get engagement rings as well, I'm sure you know that. Calum's about as rich as they come." Carla says matter of factly.
"I won't object to more diamonds." Ashton giggles, making the older shake her head in amusement.

A/N: Carla is the love of my life. I'm so sorry this is a day late, I was sick yesterday and things kept coming up and I didn't get the time around my body being terrible to me. I'm sorry, I'll see you tomorrow with the next chapter.

In other news, I ask you; what should Mali-Koa's job/career be in this? You won't be seeing her for a while but I'm really stuck on it.

Love you all and helping me out with the above dilemma would mean a heap :)

-Grace Williams xo