the sound, settle down [mashton af]

// t h i r t e e n //

         

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

    Michael picked up his phone as he was driving home from work. He put it up to his ear before checking over his left shoulder, switching lanes to merge onto another highway. "Hello?" He finally asks.

    "Hey, it's just me." Ashton's voice rings through the radio waves and Michael's mouth curls the tiniest bit into a smile.

    "Oh, hey. How're you doing?" Michael relaxes into his seat as he cruises down the highway at seventy miles per hour. The sun is setting in hues of orange and everything feels at peace. Timothy is at a friend's house, Mike has all of his cases turned in, and cold pizza is waiting for him at home.

    "I'm doing alright, just wanted to check in with you and all," he responds. Ashton sits at his desk, his fingers spinning a light green pen around and around until it falls off the side of the wooden frame.

    "That's fine, I'm just driving home now. You've got about fifteen minutes until I choose pizza over you."

    Ash laughs, nothing has changed. He likes that. He likes that somethings changed but somethings stayed the same. "My little date with Tim a few days ago was nice, he's such a great kid."

    "Isn't he the best?"

    "He's a lot like you—same humor and everything. He's just a bit louder. It sounds like you haven't changed much either."

    Michael smiles, he likes talking about his son. "It's all been pretty good."

    "You sound like a really great father." Ashton sighs as he leans back in his seat. He rubs at his eyes, still holding his phone in one hand. "I'm really glad that Tim has you."

    "I'm glad I have Tim."

    Ash curls his feet underneath his smaller frame, his fuzzed up socks keeping his toes warm. "I'm sorry how everything turned out, Mike. You've always deserved better."

    Michael doesn't say anything for a few seconds. The seconds feel like eternities as he racks his mind with something to say.

    He wishes they were texting, then he could just ponder over a message for a while, deleting it and retyping a few times.

    Michael was angry at Ashton for a long time, he was angry at him for being the way he is. Ashton and Michael were the couple that never fought, they never had a single argument, a single fight. Michael was easygoing.

    Ashton was manipulative and Michael was weak.

    He tsked his tongue, "Everything happens for a reason, you know? You're back in our lives for a while now, so it's—it's fine."

    "I hope to be back for good, Mike. You understand that, right?" Ashton curled up the sleeves of his sweater to his fingers.

    This was the first Friday night in a while he's stayed home. He's alone in his room and it kind of sucks. There's no music playing, the television isn't on, there's no one to keep him company. It's only him and his own thoughts and he isn't enjoying it.

    Michael pulled off the highway ramp, stopping at a red light with his loss of words. "Yeah, I know that."

    "I'm clean, Michael, I swear this time." Ashton wasn't a liar, he just wasn't known for the truth.    

    "I believe you," the younger boy responded.

    Ashton dragged his teeth across his bottom lip. "I'm ready to be a father."

    "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that from you."
     Michael thought it was such a shame that Ashton was fifteen years too late.

Do you ever wanna punch AU Michael in the face?

What can I do to make you happy with this story?

What do you want to see happen? Why?