Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter one hundred and seven

"So where's Luke?" Calum asks gently, he and Michael were sitting in their usual lunch restaurant. The emotional loss at the administrative tribunal was only two days earlier, yesterday Michael and Luke again opted to stay home but today Michael was back at the office.
"He's at work too. Hopefully it's a good distraction for him, and I'm sure Kaykay will be as well." Michael answers numbly, mindlessly stirring the ice around his glass.
"Kaykay?"
"The girl he works with, I know they're reasonably close friends." The older clarifies.
"Oh that's good then. How are you?"
"I-"

"No." Calum cuts his best friend off firmly. "Is work the distraction you hoped? Is a distraction even healthy? How are you?"
"A distraction might be helpful if it did its job. I just sit at work and think about all the potentially bad things that could happen." Michael concedes.
"I don't know what to say, I really wish I did." Calum sighs. "You know I'm here for you. You know Jeanette is. You and Luke both know that nothing will affect the existence of your relationship. You know that Crystal is doing everything-"
"Distract me. Talk about something else." Michael interjects, feeling sick to his stomach whenever he's reminded of what happened but even more so when he thinks of what's coming. A completely public supreme court case.

"Well," Calum clears his throat, just as their plates of food arrive. "Ashton's exams start next week. He's gonna have Alec drive him back out to school but if that gets too chaotic he'll stay with his mum for a bit."
"Oh, you'll miss him them." Michael supplies unhelpfully.
"Of course, but it's not for long and only for the good of his education." Calum counters, going for another bite just as his phone rings; MagS is the caller ID so he instantly picks up.

"I'm here." Calum says quickly, wondering what couldn't wait for him to get back to the office.
"Ironic." She snorts.
"What?" Calum furrows his eyebrows.
"The Head of Operations in Europe just quit." Maggie says it clear and concise, straight to the point.
"What?!" Calum all but screeches. "And isn't it the middle of the night there?"
"1:30am. Freya Tolson, based in London. Her husband just got diagnosed with terminal cancer and she quit on the spot. Well, she's indefinitely gone on unpaid leave. May or may not ever return." Maggie explains.
"Oh my..." Calum's jaw drops open. "I want her to be paid for the next month, if it's longer we'll discuss it more in a month's time. I- I guess I'll have to go to London ASAP."
"She said she'll stay for the rest of this week to tie up loose ends but that's it."
"Double pay for the rest of the week, I'll be back soon. Thanks for calling me." With that, Calum hangs up the phone and places his head in his hands.

"I'm assuming things aren't good?" Michael asks carefully.
"The head of operations in Europe, London but they were in charge of all of Europe, just quit as of next week." Calum groans.
"Oh shit w-" Michael starts, but Calum doesn't let him get very far.
"Her husband just got diagnosed with terminal cancer. I need to go to London, probably over the weekend." Calum says, already exhausted and stressed by the thought of it.

"Well it seems we're both up shit creek. You professionally and me personally." Michael mutters, taking a final swig of his glass of scotch. He normally wouldn't indulge so much over lunch on a workday but today he needed it. Besides, one shot wouldn't do any harm.
"God," Calum laughs bitterly, "we really both are fucked."
"Not completely. The only things-"
"that can't be taken back are ending life and creating life." Calum joins in, they finish the reminder together.

"I needed this. Thanks." Michael says lightly as he stands up and pushes his chair in.
"Of course, anytime. Who would have guessed I would end up needing it as well?" Calum supplies. They weave their way through the restaurant and wave to the maître'd as they walk out the front door, it'll be added to their account and paid later.

Calum walks back to his office and the thought of Ashton not being able to come to London plagues his mind. Ashton has two exams next week, he has to stay. Which means he'll either be home alone or staying with his mother. Calum hates the stress this can put on him, it's the last thing Ashton needs right now.

Calum sighs as he steps out of the lift and his eyes land on Maggie at her desk, he walks lethargically to her and slumps onto the top counter of her desk.
"I hate that I have to leave Ashton, especially during his exams." He mumbles glumly.
"Well-"
"It'll be our first nights apart since he moved in and out first time being more than an hour from each other since we matched."
"If you leave Sunday night you'll arrive Monday morning. I'll book a flight home for you Friday evening, so you'll be back Sunday morning, but you can come home sooner if things are alright." Maggie's voice has lost its usual vigour and excitement, she doesn't like the thought of this either.
"I'd want you to come with me but I hate how that leaves Ashton even more." Calum says dejectedly.

"Go talk to him, I'm happy to come but I'm also happy to stay and make sure Ashton is okay. He can even stay with Carla and I for the week if he wants." She offers gently, wanting to make this as easy as possible for them both. Calum nods wordlessly and turns around, rolling his shoulders in a futile attempt at easing some tension in his body as he walks down the hall. He halts momentarily outside his sub's office, dreading how he's about to disturb the peace and ruin everything.

"Hi." Calum whispers, dominance well and truly out the window. This is about how they can best equally support each other.
"Oh. I didn't hear you coming." Ashton looks up, startled and a little confused.
"Yeah, I uh, was deliberately quiet. I have some news..." Calum trails unsurely, scratching the back of his neck a little.
"What is it?" The younger frowns, not having a good feeling at all.
"I have to go to London next week but you have exams, obviously."

A/N: I love cashton so much they deserve the world who let them be sad I'll see you on Thursday, love you too

-Grace Williams xo