the sound, settle down [mashton af]

// t h i r t y - o n e //

31. We get back to my house/ Your hands, my mouth/ Now I just stop myself around you

Ashton quit his job on a Wednesday morning. It wasn't anything about Michael, he just hated his job. He hated being a manager, he hated working at a sandwich shop, he hated everything about the last ten years of his life.

So, he made some changes.

He yelled at his boss for all the years she yelled at him. He quit in a rage, he left and he didn't look back.

The thirty-year-old has never felt so good, so alive.

That was, though, until he came home and saw Calum's tan Land Rover sitting in their driveway. Ashton pulled into the garage, turing off the ignition and hopping out. He didn't know what Calum was doing but he's confident that he's not alone.

He headed inside, hearing Capital Cities blaring from upstairs. Ashton dropped his bag at the front steps before heading up their wooden stairs. He dropped his jacket at the top of the banister before making a left to Tim's room.

That's where he found exactly what he was expecting.

Tim was straddling Calum's waist, his hands pressed to Cal's clothed, broad shoulders. His lips were on Cal's jawline as the older boy had his head tilted back, his eyes closed shut.

Ashton laughed, "You're never going to get off to Capital Cities, my go-to is always The Killers." He leant against the doorframe, crossing his arms.

He gave them both a small smile as they jumped. Calum curled into the pillows as Tim leant over the edge of his bed. "Why are you home?"

"I live here, Tim. Why are you home? It's 10:30 on a Wednesday morning. Don't you have school?"

"Don't you have work?"

"I'm an adult, you don't get to say shit to me." He took a step into the room and turned down the speakers. "Cal, why don't you head back to work? Or college, or literally anywhere but my house."

He nodded and licked over his lips, quickly squeezing past Ashton and heading down their stairs and out their front door.

"I've never seen a boy run so fast and I was on track and cross country."

Tim rested his head in his hands and breathed a deep sigh. He didn't know what to say, "Are you going to lecture me?"

"Probably." Ashton circled the room, his fingers swiping over the white wood furniture. "I guess you're not done with him?"

"I love him, Ashton."

Ash shrugged, "I mean, I knew I was in love with your dad when I was your age. But, his and my situation was much different."

Tim rolled his eyes, "I have to get knocked up in order for you to believe I'm in love?"

Ashton shook his head quickly, "Oh, God, no." He dug through his pockets as he tried to find his wallet. He pulled out silver packets of condoms, "Please, take all of these. Don't you dare bring a human child into this house, ever."

Timothy scrunched up his face in disgust but took them anyways. He didn't want to talk to Ashton, at all. He never wanted to talk to Ashton. He was waiting for the lecture to come and didn't understand why it was taking so long.

Michael was always quick with the lectures, he'd scream and yell then calm down and apologize.

"You were obviously unplanned and you kind of ruined my life," Ashton said in the nicest way he could, "I don't have to remind you that your father and I love you because you know we do, but, it sucked for a while."

"Thanks for sparing my feelings."

Ashton sat down a few inches away from Tim, both boys looking at their own hands. "You're the best thing to happen to me, you and your father both are. My own mother stopped speaking to me, though. I got the nastiest shit at school—from teachers and kids and everyone in between. Michael and I were in hell until we graduated, even in college we still got some bullshit about having a child so young."

"Dad still gets that."

"I know, I saw all the mean soccer moms judging him. I can't imagine what's inside his head."

"The difference between you and Dad is that Dad doesn't let that get to him. He just accepts life and moves on."

Ashton shrugged, not denying it. "That's 100 percent true, Tim. My life kind of ended when we found out about you and I suddenly depended on Michael for everything. It sucks to have that little control. Your father aged so fast because I refused to, everything happened for a reason."

Tim breathed out a sigh as he could, once again, feel tears brimming his eyes. "I'm such a crybaby," he said, wiping his waterline.

"You're not a crybaby," Ashton said with a chuckle. He leant over, wrapping his arm around his son. "It's fucking scary thinking about everything he and I had to go through. You don't even know half of it."

Tim sighed once more as he leant into his father. "I know you're right. I'm glad to have you in my life, though. I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for you."

Ashton smiled as he booped Tim's nose, "Who do you think gave you that good nose? Not your dad."

Tim laughed and suddenly it felt like his whole life was just one big, perfect fanfiction. 

 I lied, there's one more chapter before 3 part epilogue and 3 part prologue. 

Give me your thoughts. 

Predictions?