Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter one hundred and fourteen

Ashton decided to stay with Carla for the rest of the week, he thought it would be a good opportunity. He understood the unspoken reasons why Calum suggested it. He knew that Calum saw it as an opportunity for Ashton to learn and grow. Ashton liked having Carla as a role model, he really did.

Ashton and Carla leave shortly after dinner, aware of the hour long drive back into the city and the fact that Carla has work at 8am the following morning. They take the opportunity in the car to call Maggie and Calum for a bit, though the two aren't overly available and ready to chat considering it's the start of the work day in London.

Carla does everything she can to make Ashton feel as comfortable as possible in the guest bedroom and Ashton appreciates it, her efforts are not going unnoticed. They both turn in early, but that's largely because their doms have turned them both into early morning people, and are more surprised than they should be when they see the other at 6:30 the following morning.

"Good morning." Carla smiles softly when Ashton walks down the stairs and falls into the kitchen a little unceremoniously. She was sitting at the bench, a mug of tea in front of her.
"Morning." The younger blushes, embarrassed.
"Little surprised to see you awake so early but I'm guessing that Calum's converted you into a morning person." She hums.
"Yeah. I'm used to it now." Ashton nods, leaning against the wall.
"Ditto. Unfortunately."
"Maggie made you a morning person from the start?" Ashton asks.
"Oh no." She laughs. "When we were both in uni we were as terrible as you'd expect. We graduated at the same time and after that both had to conform to our normal job hours. It was when Calum finished uni and started working full time that Maggie began her 7am starts."

"Wait..." Ashton pauses as he thinks of the logistics of what Carla just explained. "So Maggie worked for Calum when he was still in uni?"
"Yep. He worked at Hood all throughout his time at uni, just not full time, and Maggie has been his assistant the whole time. Basically as soon as he got out of high school." Carla clarifies before putting down her mug and standing up. "Now what can I get you for breakfast?"

Ashton and Carla eat their toast together before taking the free time as an opportunity to call their dom's. Ashton does what he usually does, wanting to relax Calum and make sure his work is going along at least semi-smoothly. Calum typically obliges, willing to take his sub's comfort, but right now he just wants to know Ashton is doing okay. Yesterday was an emotional roller coaster and now Ashton was staying with someone he still hadn't known for very long. Ashton reassured Calum he was doing fine, even if he had another idea overnight. An idea for something he wanted to do, though he would keep it a secret for now.

Ashton leaves the house when Carla does, heading into the city to try and find some place inspiring enough for him to study productively. He ends up catching the train to the state library, finding the environment motivating enough for him to knuckle down and get stuff done. Only nine more days till his last exam, he could push through for the end.

It's after 3 o'clock when Ashton starts getting distracted. He can't stop looking at this thing that he really wants but he couldn't possibly commit to alone. He texts Carla the minute he knows she finishes teaching.

Ashton - Carla: I want to get a tattoo

She reads it instantly but her reply takes a few minutes longer.

Carla - Ashton: You haven't told Calum have you...

Ashton - Carla: No... :/

Carla - Ashton: I know a good place in the city but I wanna go home first. How about we go out later?

Ashton - Carla: Okay, see you soon

Ashton packs up his books at the library and heads back to Maggie and Carla's. He felt like Carla was trying to discourage him from doing it but he was insistent. He wanted this. It would be a surprise for Calum.

"How was your day?" Ashton asks when he gets back, deciding to drop the tattoo conversation for now.
"Good, good. Same as always." She hums with a smirk.
"What's that look for?" He gulps.
"Why do you suddenly want to get a tattoo now that your boyfriend is out of the country?" She narrows her eyes.
"Oh." Ashton hiccups. "I've never been against them, kept an open mind, but I want one because of yesterday."

"What?" Carla furrows her eyebrows.
"I keep doubting us, him, and I hate that so much. I want a tattoo for Calum. Something that I can look at and remember that he loves me, that he'll always be there." Ashton confesses.
"And you have no intention of telling him?"
"Not beforehand. I feel like I can never surprise him. I want to." Ashton says determinedly.
"Well. I accept that I won't be able to change your mind, nor should I. It's your body. Now, let's go."

"Do you have a tat? Is that why you know where to go?" Ashton asks as they walk out the door.
"Ding ding," she laughs. "I have one on my ankle, got it on our first family holiday to Poland, which was after I turned 18."
"First? You go to Poland a lot?" This still isn't making sense to Ashton.
"I'm Polish. My parents migrated just before I was born. Then we went back for the first time after I graduated high school, seemed like a good time in part because my youngest sister was finally old enough to sort of appreciate it." Carla explains as they walk to the train station. Though Maggie and Carla have a car, they rarely used it.

"Oh that's so cool, you speak Polish then?"
"Dokładnie. That means 'exactly' in Polish." She laughs.
"And you said youngest sister... how many siblings do you have?" Ashton asks curiously.
"Four. I'm the oldest. Me, then two brothers, then two sisters."
"Wow." Ashton breathes out. "That's so many."
"It is, and I love them, but it's also one of the reasons I don't want kids." She hums.

A/N: Ashton wants a tattoo 👀 what will it be 👀 my Twitter is suspended 👀 Australia is going into lockdown 👀 stay safe ❤️

-Grace Williams xo