Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter seventy five

Michael grabs his phone again, hoping Calum has landed by now, and is pleased when he sees that he has. He tries to call him again and just about wants to walk into a brick wall when it rings out again.

Calum - Michael: Sorry, just going through security. Give me 5-10

Michael - Calum: No worries

Michael and Luke take the opportunity to sit down, utilising an armchair in the corner of the room by the window. Luke can't help but stare at his stomach, hesitantly resting his hands there. He can't believe there's an actual baby in there. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Michael's phone rings.

"Hey, glad to finally catch you." Michael starts, putting it to speaker.
"Yeah, is everything alright?" Calum asks concernedly.
"Can Ashton hear? We have some news." Michael asks.
"Hi." Luke adds in softly.
"Hold on a second." Calum purses his lips and shuffling and muffled talking can be heard for a few minutes.

"We're here, managed to find a private room at the airport." Calum comes back. "What's the news?"
"Do you wanna say it baby?" Michael looks at Luke encouragingly.
"I'm pregnant." Luke says quietly.
"What?" Calum wheezes in shock, clutching onto a wide eyed Ashton.
"Yeah," Michael chuckles. "Luke's pregnant, I'm the only possible other parent. Which also means that we're soulmates."
"Oh wow." Calum breathes out.
"Congratulations." Ashton manages to get out.
"Thanks Ash." Luke accepts, happy with his place in Michael's lap. Knowing who his soulmate is feels so good.

"I'm so happy-" Calum starts, getting cut off by his desk phone ringing. Maggie must have gotten all her calls redirected to Calum's desk while he's away.
"One second, let me get that." Michael interjects, getting Luke out of his lap so he can reach the phone. "Hood Motors, how may I help? Right, I'm just filling in for the moment. Are you able to call back tomorrow? Or I can take a message. Wonderful, apologies for this. Thank you, goodbye." Michael talks with whoever is calling and Calum stays silent, but he has a lot of questions.

"So you were saying?" Michael asks as if it never happened.
"Mind telling me why you just answered a Hood phone call? You're at my office?" Calum asks, not at all willing to let it go.
"Yeah, we came here when you wouldn't answer. I was hoping Maggie would have a way of reaching you sooner, clearly she didn't." Michael shrugs.
"And where is Maggie now? Should I be worried?" Calum presses and Michael just sighs in defeat. He's going to have to tell him. He just doesn't want to stress Calum out.
"So Carla was here and when we tried to introduce her and Luke, she safeworded." Michael says quietly.
"She what?! Why?!" Calum hisses, holding his sub tighter as he feels Ashton's heart rate speed up.
"Turns out Carla works at Luke's school, she's the nurse. We don't know much more than that. Maggie took her down the corridor, to a conference room I think."

"I'm going to talk to Maggie, I've gotta go. Congratulations on the baby, can't wait to talk about it more when we get back." Calum rushes a little.
"No worries, talk soon. Bye." Michael ends the call with a sigh.

"Should we go?" Luke asks weakly, feeling directly responsible for Carla's safeword and -by consequence of that- Maggie's current inaction.
"If you want to. We don't have to. I'd still like to tell them in person, Maggie will let us know if we need to leave because of how Carla's feeling." Michael strokes some of the hair across his sub's forehead softly.
"Okay." Luke mumbles, feeling most comfortable with his head against Michael's heart beat and his hands on his still flat stomach.

"We need to talk about a contract." Michael starts, continuing on when he feels Luke tense a little but not thinking the younger will say anything. "They can't be official and legal until you're 18 but, considering you're currently pregnant with our child, indicating that we are definitely soulmates, we'll have to approach the DFD about a special exemption. Don't worry, I'll start that process if you don't want to. However, right now, you at least need a safeword."
"Oh." Michael waits to see if Luke will say anything else, he doesn't.
"There won't be any punishments without a contract but you still need a safeword. Life is unpredictable and we need to be prepared."
"Can you even have a safeword without a contract?" Luke furrows his eyebrows.
"Not technically, and there's nothing I can give you other than my word that I'll follow it, but I don't feel comfortable proceeding without one. This isn't casual anymore Luke. We are soulmates. We are starting a family together."
"My safeword is platypus."

Calum - Maggie: Michael sort of told me what happened. Is Carla alright? Can I call you?

Calum texted Maggie as soon as he got off the phone with Michael.
"Calum wants to talk, do you mind if I call him?" Maggie asks her sub softly.
"I don't wanna talk." Carla mumbles.
"No, you don't have to. Promise." Maggie kisses her temple before pressing call on Calum's number.

"Hey." Maggie says relatively quietly, not wanting Carla to be uncomfortable and off put.
"Hi, how- how are you both?" Calum asks, matching Maggie's tone.
"We're on the uphill, she's doing alright." Maggie smiles a little and Carla nods wordlessly, even if Calum has no idea of it. It's still reassurance for Maggie that Carla is feeling a little better.
"I don't know the specifics, nor do I need to, but I wanted to call and let you know that I don't mind at all if you take all of tomorrow off work. Will Carla be at home?" Calum offers.
"I think so, I'll talk to her, but are you sure? You're away and-"
"My next flight covers overnight for you. Then other admin staff can do your basic work and I can help out from New York. I promise. If she needs this, needs you, then I insist you take the day. With full pay and if Carla isn't getting paid when she's at home then I'll pay her salary too." Calum has already considered it all. He doesn't want Maggie or Carla working tomorrow.

Safewords aren't commonly used. They're used even less when a relationship is long and stable, like Maggie and Carla's.

A/N: so either you were ready for the last chapter or it was just bland... I don't mean to be that thirsty author but I haven't had any comments in a few chapters and idk what you guys think. If it's boring please tell me that too, the last thing I want to do is bore you out.

Today's note on the Australian fires that is apparently it was going around twitter that they've gotten better and 1) not really 2) feburary is always the worst so no ones resting yet 3) the smoke is reallyyyyyyy bad

I truly love you all so so much, always

-Grace Williams xo