Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter eighty eight

It's Monday. The start of the end of Luke's time in high school, time that because of a baby is being cut short by a year.
"I don't wanna go," Luke pouts at Sierra as they study for their English exam that's the following day.
"It'll be for the best Lu. You'll get to live with your soulmate, plan for the baby. You don't want the stress of year 12." Sierra sighs.
"I guess. I'm gonna miss you." He mumbles.
"I'll miss you too but don't act like you can get rid of me that easily. We can still catch up after school, on weekends.... You're still my best friend, why are you acting like this will change that?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's just the hormones. I love you." Luke replies, leaning in for a hug.

"I haven't even met Michael yet, I can't believe this." She shakes her head disappointingly as they pull apart.
"We'll have to fix that. I'll ask him when he's free." Luke giggles.

Luke - Michael: Sierra wants to meet you

Michael - Luke: That sounds like a good idea, whenever you're free around exams this week works for me

Luke - Michael: Lunch on Wednesday?

Michael - Luke: Perfect ❤️

Luke - Michael: ❤️❤️

"Lunch after our music exam on Wednesday. It's settled." Luke says finitely as he puts his phone down.
"I can't wait to meet your man, he better live up to all the hype." She smirks.
"Oh he will."
"Will he? Or will his wallet?"
"Both." Luke shrugs nonchalantly, eliciting a laugh from his best friend.

Luke and Sierra manage to get through a full day of studying for the two exams they have the next day and then the exams themselves. Luke finds it so relaxing to end both days with a long video call to his dom. Nothing brings him more joy than Michael's face, voice and entire existence. Luke walks into his Wednesday morning music exam with confidence, it's his best subject and he can't wait to finally see Michael again. God, he thinks, I can't wait to live with him.

"Hey baby." Michael grins, instantly engulfing Luke into a tight hug when Luke and Sierra get to the restaurant. It's an upmarket place in the city.
"Hi, I've missed you." Luke sighs happily, breathing in the comforting smell of his dom. Sierra stands to the side, awkward and forgotten, until she clears her throat to get their attention.

"Oh." Luke blushes as he pulls back. "Michael, this is my best friend, Sierra. Sierra, this is my," Luke suddenly looks around, paranoid someone will overhear. "This is Michael."
"Hi, pleasure to meet you." Sierra starts, suddenly a little nervous. This wasn't just her best friends dom, this was the owner of Scorpion technology. This was a man who never dropped below third on the list of richest people in Australia and was in fact often number one on the list.
"The pleasure is all mine." Michael smiles charmingly. "I already have a table, it's up the back."

They walk through the restaurant, Michael with a hand on Luke's lower back and Sierra to Luke's other side, before sitting in a small and secluded booth.
"Now don't worry about the prices, I know this will be out of budget for any high school student. I'll get this. Promise." Michael reassures them both as they analyse the menu with wide eyes.
"I realise," Luke mumbles as he studies the food options, "we've never been to a proper restaurant together before."
"Haven't we?" Michael furrows his brows.
"No." Luke hums. "We met in bar and we've been out for coffee a few times but usually we're just as someone's house."
"You're right, we'll have to fix that. Maybe we can do dinner on Friday to celebrate you finishing school." Michael suggests, causing Luke to let out an exasperated sigh.

"He's not ready to leave school." Sierra chuckles. "Loves me too much."
"Do you wanna stay in school?" Michael asks, stroking some of the hair out of Luke's eyes.
"Not exactly. I'm just worried I'll be bored. And me getting pregnant so young feels like I'm never gonna get the chance to just live. There won't be a single moment in my adult life that I won't have kids. That's scary." Luke confesses.
"I didn't know you felt this way." Michael frowns.
"And there's no way you could have. I don't regret this at all, I'm just nervous I guess." Luke sighs, kissing Michael before his dom can say anything else.

They order lunch, even though Sierra is nervous about the price. She knew Michael was absurdly rich but that didn't mean she didn't feel like an imposition.
"So Sierra, tell me about yourself." Michael hums curiously.
"Oh." She chokes up a little, having been caught off guard. "Well, there's not a lot to tell. Luke and I have been friends since the start of year 7 when we were in the same music class."
"Nice, what instruments do you play?"
"I just sing mostly, play a bit of keys but I'm not very good." She answers.
"I'm sure you're just being modest." Michael brushes off.
"No-" Sierra tried to contest, only for Luke to cut her off.
"She is. She's great."
"Am not." She rolls her eyes.
"That's a lie." Luke says dryly.

"I can't believe he paid that much, for lunch." Sierra hisses to Luke quietly as they exit the restaurant.
"You know how rich he is." Luke snorts in amusement.
"Yeah but it's still weird." She whines.
"Well, you'll like our house. I wouldn't say it's particularly humble but it's a significant step down from his current penthouse, it's below what I think you'd expect."

"Are you two going back to school now?" Michael queries when he joins them after he finishes paying the bill.
"Probably. Got more study to do. One exam tomorrow and two on Friday." Luke pouts.
"Okay. Good luck with that. You'll smash it." Michael chuckles. "You've got this, I love you baby."
"Love you too." Luke mumbles as they give a goodbye kiss on the footpath.
"Lovely to meet you Sierra." Michael waves as they walk in opposite directions through the streets of Sydney.

"I already miss him." Luke says sadly, causing Sierra to roll her eyes.
"Yeah yeah, two more days you love sick puppy."

A/N: this feels like a filler but it's setting up for something important in the next chapter soooooo I hope you enjoyed? Love you all, see you Saturday :)

-Grace Williams xo