Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter eighty six

Michael's parents are already stood waving and smiling on their front doorstep when Michael and Luke arrive. Luke finds it exceptionally intimidating. The house is a big country estate and it's nice but not too lavish, it's sort of what he expected when told they moved to the country in search of simplicity.
"Michael! So good to see you." Michael's father announces cheerfully, Michael and Luke stopping in front of the door in the circle driveway and getting out of the car.
"Hi dad, it's good to be back. Breathing in the fresh country air." Michael takes a deep breath and wordlessly accepts Luke when the younger presses close to his side.
"It's so great to see your face again." His mother smiles.
"I feel the same way." Michael replies when his mother embraces her son for a hug.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Luke Hemmings." Luke starts his bold introduction confidently but he slowly crumbles under Michael's parents gaze.
"How recently did you say you got matched?" Michael's father purses his lips.
"It's been about a month." Michael says annoyedly, continuing on before his father can say anymore. "Luke, this is my father Steven and my mother Rosemary."

Luke bows his head a little but stays silent, he has not a clue how to behave.
"You'll be good for him Michael, can teach him how to behave." Steven spins on his heels and stalks back inside the house.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Luke." Rosemary adds kindly before heading inside as well.

"I can't do this." Luke immediately starts fretting the entire weekend, it'll be a long two days.
"You'll be fine baby, I promise." Michael kisses his sub reassuringly.
"He wants me to get your permission to speak!" Luke whisper shouts.
"No no no, it wasn't that. It was that you introduced yourself to a dominant. Introductions should only be done by dominants." Michael explains.
"You said they were conservative, not ancient! And does your mother smiling at me mean she doesn't think I was in the wrong? Does she disagree with him on that?" Luke quietly whines.
"Of course she agrees, it's an inherent human value and they're soulmates," Michael explains. "She's just always had more tact and grace than my father."

"I made sure your bedroom would be ready for you, why don't you go settle in and then show Luke around?" Rosemary suggests when she catches sight of Michael and Luke.
"Thanks, will do." Michael grins, taking Luke down the hallway to the bedroom he always stays in.

"This is my room, those double doors just outside of here is my parents room. I'm only so close because this is the only other room with an en-suite." Michael explains but Luke just stays quiet, a million and one thoughts rushing through his head. "What is it baby? Talk to me." Michael frowns.
"I can't do this." Luke falls into Michael's arms, tears building up in his eyes. "I'm gonna keep disappointing them. I'm going to keep fucking up. And I don't have a contract to follow. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing in this relationship."

"Of course you can do this. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think you were ready." Michael leans down to kiss his submissive deeply. "The introductions are out of the way, and I should be taking the credit for that going wrong. I should have warned you."
"But then even after you introduced me and I bowed, they still looked disappointed." Luke mumbles sadly.
"That was when you should have spoke. I'm sorry it's so confusing. It'll only get easier from here. I promise."
"Is there any there anything else I should be aware of?" Luke sighs dejectedly.
"Just don't initiate conversation with my father. You can talk to him, but only if someone else prompts it. You can talk with me freely, never worry about that. And talking to my mother shouldn't be an issue." Michael explains.

"So just don't speak unless spoken to when it comes to your father? I can manage that, I'm too scared to talk to him anyway."
"I hate that they make you feel like this. If they express anymore judgements out loud then I'll express them right back." Michael says surely, hugging his soulmate close.
"I don't want to create tension between you and your parents." Luke adds as he wipes away his tears.
"We're soulmates. It was always going to be you that would be the submissive I brought home, to bring them into the 21st century. We. Are. Soulmates. Never ever forget that."

"So when did you two match? How long have you been keeping the secret?" Rosemary inquires nosily as they're eating dinner, Michael and his father at the two ends of the table and Luke and Rosemary to their dominant's right.
"We first met four weeks ago, to the day actually." Michael answers, smiling a little when he realises that it's been exactly 28 days.
"And what stopped you from telling us sooner? Your mother and I feel very left out." Steven purses his lips.
"I was busy with the product launch, Luke's still in school. We just haven't had the right moment." Michael grits his teeth.
"And when is Luke moving in? He certainly needs the guidance." Michael's father says dryly, making Michael clench his fists and Luke take a deep breath.

"He does not need the guidance. Luke is doing perfectly." Michael defends, earning disapproving looks from his parents.
"He-" Rosemary starts before Michael cuts his mother off.
"If you must know, we're moving in together next week. I bought a new house and we're waiting for the end of Luke's school term."
"Well. It's for the best." Steven says gruffly before there's a tense silence cast across the room.

When they all finish eating, everyone except Steven helps clear the table. Then they head into the formal lounge, where Luke is more comfortable because he can be pressed tightly into Michael's side. Though he's made less comfortable by Rosemary kneeling in front of Steven's armchair.
"Do I?" Luke whispers to his dom, casting a side eye to the couple across the room.
"Of course not baby, you don't have to." Michael answers firmly, not wanting Luke to copy just out of fear.

"He doesn't kneel?" Steven starts accusingly.
"He has a name. It is Luke. And you don't need to keep talking about Luke as if he's not here. It's the 21st century and people have realised that not every relationship is the same. Some submissive's kneel and some do not." Michael fires back.
"Those who do not are setting their relationship up for turmoil." Steven says, voice icy and cold.

A/N: drama drama drama I'm trying to make a Pinterest board of all the houses, feel free to leave character ask questions for Michael's parents on the character ask part. Lotsa love pretties :)

-Grace Williams xo