the sound, settle down [mashton af]

// f o u r t e e n //

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

Weeks passed and the air turned bitter cold, snow began to fall. Ashton saw Tim every other weekend (social worker Madeline following two steps behind them). There hasn't been any mistakes, nothing has gone wrong.

November air rolled around. Two days before Michael's thirtieth birthday, he was called in for a casual business meeting involving Ashton. The two, plus their lawyer George, piled into a booth.

Three hungry men ordered the entire Chinese restaurant on that cold, Friday night. Maybe not the entire store, but at least a good fraction.

"So, good ol' G," Michael started, leaning on the table, "what's happening with our case?"

He opened up his binder, pulling on the Irwin-Clifford tab. "Well, Ashton has made quite an impression on Madeline these last few meet-ups."

Ashton smiled, liking the praise. He caught eyes with Michael and could tell that he, too, was proud of him. Ash liked that, he liked that attention.

"The court granted him four unsupervised visitations a month. They can't be longer than three hours and have to be in public. If you continue passing your drug tests and all goes well, then we can talk about more in 12 weeks." George flipped over a few papers and scrambled around for a pen.

"Does he get to decided when these visitations are? I'm not okay with him just dropping in." Michael wasn't looking at Ashton, he couldn't look at Ashton. Michael was getting used to the idea of Ashton being around more but he wasn't ready to give Tim up to him.

Mike spent too many years trying to make Ashton happy, trying to make Ashton stay. It's enough. He's almost thirty years old now, it's time Michael puts his son first.

Michael will never put himself first.

Ashton rolled his eyes, "I'm not an asshole, Michael."

George wasn't a good common ground, if the two men wanted to fight, then so be it. "He has to schedule them through the social services at least 48 hours in advanced," he said, his voice monotone.

Mike sighed, resting his hands on the table. "I guess that's fine."

Michael isn't sure if he should trust Ashton. He knows that Timothy needs a second parent in his life (it's been a while since Mike's mother passed), he knows this might be good for his son. He can't help but be worried, though.

He doesn't know to trust his head or his heart.

His heart will always ache for his ex lover. Ashton was his everything and Ashton will always be his everything.

Michael's head isn't sure why Mike ever let Ashton in.

Timothy rolls over onto his stomach as he rolls the dice for Monopoly. "I'm gonna crush you," he tells Calum, "like, in this game but also in real life."

"I can't believe I'm being threatened by a fourteen-year-old."

"I turned fifteen two weeks ago, fuck you."

Calum laughed, "Pity me, please, King Timothy." He got down on his stomach as well, getting more comfortable on the carpet of the Clifford's living room. His dark eyes watched over the hotels and houses on all of Tim's plastic properties.

Tim shook his head as he landed on another empty property, buying it out with breeze. "You should know better by now."

Cal shook his head, "You're just like your father."

"I am not!" Tim dramatically put a hand to his chest, rolling his eyes with a smile upon his lips.

"You are! Your dad is a living, breathing Monopoly game!" Calum licked over his dry lips and looked up at the teenager. "You should see all the paperwork I have to move around for him. He's buying pieces of the firm like it's nothing every single day, Timmy."

Tim furrowed his eyebrows, "Really? He doesn't talk about work at home."

"Your dad is a literal powerhouse, you should see him." Calum rolled the dice again, almost falling into bankruptcy as he landed on another of Tim's property.

Tim stayed silent, suddenly lost in his own thoughts. "Dad doesn't even talk when he gets home."

"I wish I could get him to stop talking." The nineteen-year-old looked up, suddenly realizing Timothy's absence of voice. "You alright?"

"Did you grow up with two parents?" He suddenly asked, blinking his golden hues of eyes.

Calum shook his head, "Mom died when I was young and Dad worked a lot. My dad is a lot like yours. I relate to everything you're going for."

Timothy sat up, the carpet itching at his skin. He curled up his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his shins. "It gets lonely, like a lot," he wiped at his nose, trying not to get emotional.

Calum put down his cards, sliding over their plush carpet to get closer to the teenager. "Everything will pass over, you'll get more attention than you know what to do with," he said with a smile. He placed his hand on Tim's back, bringing him closer and wrapping both arms around him.

Tim doesn't express a lot of emotions, it was something new to see him like that for Calum.

"I love attention," he said with a laugh, "like, so much. You're the one person who gives me that." Timothy looked down at their close bodies, he liked hugs and cuddles and quick I love you's.

Calum didn't know what to say, so he just held him closer. 

Thoughts on Calum/Tim?

Thoughts on Ashton getting more rights to Tim?

Will Ashton fuck shit up? Probably.