the sound, settle down [mashton af]

// s i x //

Well I know when you're around cause I know the sound/ I know the sound, of your heart

Michael smiled as he saw Timothy come towards his car. He was in his sweaty soccer gear, mud all over his knees. Mike moved up a towel to the passenger seat, refusing to let his son ruin the leather details of his car.

"Shoes off," he said at the blonde boy.

He rolled his golden brown eyes, sitting down without getting his cleats in the car. Once off and in a plastic bag, he properly sat next to his father. Closing the door and buckling up, they started to head home.

"How was practice?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

He nodded, crossing his arms and opening up his phone. Timothy had a headband in his hair, holding back the dirty blonde fringe from getting in his eyes.

"Did coach say anything about the game coming up?"

"No."

Michael sighed as he pulled from the school parking lot. "Real nice talk. So glad we're open with each other."

"Why did Ashton stay over?" His monotone voice spoke.

Michael suddenly wished Timothy stopped talking. "Because it was late."

"Dad."

"That's not a conversation for you and I to have right now." Michael rested one hand on the top of the steering wheel, the other on the stick shift between the two.

He shifted gears as they got upon the highway ramp headed home.

Timothy's private school was a good half hour away. It felt longer in the early mornings of winter when it was still pitch black until third period. Michael did it for his son, though. West Hills Primary was supposedly the best around. He wanted a good future for his one and only treasure.

"You don't tell me anything about Ashton. He's my father and now I'm supposed to spend time with him!" Tim closed his phone, sliding it back into his backpack at his feet. He wanted answers from his father and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Timothy is a lot like Michael in that aspect. He knew what he wanted and he wasn't going to give up. He was headstrong.

Mike sighed once more. "Fine, Timothy, ask away." He fidgeted in his seat, his work clothes feeling tighter on his skin than they did half an hour ago.

"Why did he leave? Why wasn't he there for us?"

Timothy never asked about his other father. When he was in elementary school and the only kid in his class without two parents, he didn't ask. At the time, the small six-year-old thought Michael was better as one parent than any two parents could ever be.

"He was a junkie. He was shooting up heroine instead of babysitting you," he bluntly answered. "He'd do stupid things while he was high, and he was getting high more than staying sober. Regardless of what he is to you, I didn't want that around my baby." Michael reached over, squeezing his son's apple cheeks, simply to bother him.

Tim made an annoyed sound and moved away. "Is he still like that?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not know? You're you."

Michael shook his head. "He says he isn't, but he says a lot of shit."

"Then why are you trusting him around me this weekend?" Tim's fingers played with the hem of his soccer shorts. His dried skin had cracked mud lining in, all he wanted was dinner and a bath.

"Because he believes he deserves rights to you again. He's technically your father, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Legally, he's not. I have all rights. But, he's on your birth certificate."

He snorted, "You're making me sound like an animal or something." He relaxed back into his seat, turning to look at Michael again. "You still haven't answered why he stayed over. I just want to hear it from you."

"I'm not answering that. You're fourteen."

Timothy rolled in his eyes. "In all those movies with teenage parents, the parent and kid are like best friends. Why can't I tease you about your sex life, Michael?"

"Don't call me Michael and don't talk about my sex life." A vermillion shade colored his cheeks and burned through his veins. He didn't want to be having any conversation like this with his son. Ever.

"Is Ashton going to be in our lives for good now?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Timothy looked ahead once more as Michael pulled from the highway, getting back on the main roads and heading towards their home.

The sky was starting to set as the day was coming towards an end, they illuminated with hues of oranges and pinks. Timothy wondered what Ashton was doing. He spent a lot of his life wondering what Ashton was doing.

Michael didn't talk about Ashton a lot.

"I don't know," he repeated, "really."

"Come on, Dad. You promised you'd give me answers."

He was drowned out by the roar of the motor as Michael sped down the country road. Their large property set them acres and acres away from their closest neighbor. It gave Mike the opportunity to test out his V8 engine.

Mike didn't answer him. He was hoping he forgot about it all together as they pulled up to their house. He parked in their garage, grabbing his work bag from the back and heading inside.

Timothy was close behind him. "You didn't answer me!"

"I'm not going to. There's nothing more you need to know." Michael loops around their house, going past the kitchen and heading to his study to finish today's work.

"Dad! This isn't fair! Ashton is my father, too!"

"Not legally!" He called, plopping down in his chair and logging onto his iMac.

Timothy followed his father through the french doors and stood at the entranceway of his dark office. "This isn't fair!" He repeated, his voice squeaking.

"You're getting dirt all over. Take a shower and we'll have dinner after." He ignored his son. He loaded up his email, his fingers scrolling down to the bottom of hundreds of unread notices.

"Dad!"

Michael sighed for the dozenth time that night. He brought both hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to just tell me what's happening for once in my life!"

Michael looked directly at his son, unable to control his voice. "I'm in love with your father! I'm in love with a wanna-be-junkie, Timothy!"

In all truth, Michael never got over Ashton. 

Why do you think Michael still loves Ashton?

Do you think part of Timothy has always kind of wanted that second father in his life?

Do you realize that Timothy is named after Mathew Timothy Healy?