Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter ninety eight

"You know that I'm not very authoritative. I'm not a strict dom and I don't imagine I ever will be. But you need to understand that adopting a dog is not something small and it's not something you can do behind my back like that." Michael starts, voice clear and cutting through the silence.
"I'm sorry." Luke whispers, Michael raising his eyebrows as to indicate that what Luke has said was far from enough. "I should have come back and talked to you more, I should have respected you and your decisions. I hate that I disappointed you, I hate it more than you could know. And I know that won't take it back but I've definitely learnt from it. I promise."

"I accept that apology and I believe that you've learnt from this. I also need to apologise-"
"No-" Luke quickly shakes his head, only for Michael to put up a hand to silence him.
"Because we've known that a contract isn't a legal option at this stage, that means we haven't discussed a contract yet. We have not even a vague framework for what our contract will include. It was completely inappropriate of me to decide you'll be punished, at an indefinite time and in an indefinite way. It's disrespectful to you as a person, my equal, to make you live knowing you are owed a punishment that may not be delivered for months."
"It was justified." Luke says weakly.
"No. It wasn't." Michael says sternly.

"Then punish me now."
"I am not punishing you without a contract." Michael replies fiercely.
"But we agree that I shouldn't have done what I did." Luke whines. "I don't want to live now knowing I fucked up but never received a punishment for it."
"So I caused this by saying you would be punished. I never should have said anything." Michael stresses, standing up and beginning to pace the room. "I'm exactly like my father." Michael pales, freezing when the realisation hits him.

"No!" Luke jumps, nearly in hysterics just from the idea of it. "You're not. You never will be."
"I am." Michael groans. "I diminished the value of you, my submissive, even if I didn't mean to. I'm being so firm. I'm not allowing negotiation and compromise."
"You didn't diminish my value. I promise. I wish you could see yourself from my eyes, see how perfect you are to me." Luke hiccups, on the verge of tears. He hates Michael's father but he hates the thought of Michael comparing himself to him even more.
"I'm being the dominant I always feared I would be because it's the only kind of dominance I've seen." Michael whispers.

"You're a much better dominant than you realise. You're nothing like your father. You've seen many great dominants; in friends, in business and in society. Your father basically spat on me, said I was ruining everything. How you could ever compare yourself to that is beyond me."  Luke's voice is gentle, he wants to be slow and reassuring. What's a submissive if they're not there for the dom's just as equally as the dom's are there for them?
"I love you." Michael goes in for a soothing kiss, Luke replying with the same eight letters as they pull back.

"You're sure you want a punishment?" Michael asks warily, the two of them sitting back on the couch.
"Please." Luke begs. "It will help my guilt."
"Okay but I refuse to make it harsh." Michael sighs.
"Whatever will make you comfortable." Luke obliges.

"Because your main offence stemmed from running off," Michael hums, "you're grounded."
"O-"
"You're grounded until Monday week, nine days. The limits of this grounding mean that you're not allowed out of my sight, but if it's just us at home you can be wherever on the property. If I decide there's somewhere you can be without me I'll let you know, okay?" Michael delivers the verdict and Luke is happy with it. It's a punishment without being that much of a punishment. Perfect for the offence and doable considering it's gotta happen under the table because there's no contract.
"And if we have guests over?" Luke seeks to clarify.
"Not sure, I'll let you know at the time."
"Okay, noted." Luke nods.

The rest of the weekend flies by and pretty soon it's Monday, where Luke -in order to follow his punishment- has to go with Michael to work. They're up at 6:15am and the idea of it being a punishment is settling in. Mornings are not Luke's friend. Luke is groaning for all of two minutes before Michael reminds him that he asked for this punishment and good boys don't complain when they're given what they deserve, so Luke quickly apologises and continues getting ready with his mouth shut.

"Good morning. Surprised to see you here Luke." Jeanette comments when Michael and Luke arrive at Michael's office at 7am.
"Oh-" Luke starts before he catches his dom's 'be careful' warning look. "I don't have anything else to do with my days so I may as well be with my dom, enjoying his company."
"Won't he be a distraction?" Jeanette hums to her boss.
"He won't. He's well behaved. My good boy." Michael grins, gesturing for Luke to sit in the spare chair in the corner of his large office.
"Of course, always." Luke blushes.

Michael chips away at his work, Luke sitting in the corner on his phone but gradually becoming more and more bored. Luke is very much aware that he's not allowed to complain so he sits there, unmoved, and sighs.
"If you sigh one more time you're not choosing what you wear for the next two days." Michael announces annoyedly.
"Oh. Sorry." Luke squeaks.

"You mentioned that you might go back and work at a coffee shop?" Michael looks up from his computer to addresses his submissive.
"Yeah, I haven't talked to them yet though."
"Call them now and then we'll go visit them for lunch. If you pick up some shifts this week I'll allow you to go, have those hours without me staring at you." Michael instructs.
"Okay, thank you." Luke says excitedly, starting to ring his old boss even if he's a little nervous about it.

It's as Michael's watching Luke fondly that he remembers that the boy is eight weeks pregnant this week. They can do the blood tests to confirm paternity. They can start the process of getting the legal contract they need and want.

Michael - Jeanette: Luke and I need paternity blood tests, can you please book them for this week?

Jeanette - Michael: Consider it done.

A/N: ooft the relationship is developing. See you on Tuesday, lots of love darlings :)

-Grace Williams xo