A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapters.
Kieran turned to leave, almost positive that his newly found father wouldn't do anything to stop him. After all, why should he? Seventeen years had passed without either of them knowing each other's names. What did Kieran expect? A warm welcome? A home, complete with a comfortable bed to sleep in and a pet dog? He was then filled with a surge of regret. Finding Kevin Burkhoff was a stupidly pointless idea. I never should've come-
"Wait." Kieran's thought was interrupted, but this time by his father's voice rather than a crack of thunder. "Wait...you don't have to go." Kevin realized suddenly that perhaps the boy simply wanted to go. Perhaps finally finding his father was...disappointing? "If you...if you want to go, I'll drive you," he added quickly. His tone sounded frustrated, though he hadn't meant to seem annoyed in the least. Kieran raised an eyebrow as he slowly turned back to his father.
"It's fine," he said shortly. He was under the impression that Burkhoff didn't want anything to do with him. "I'll walk." He turned to leave once again and was stopped a second time. This time, he felt the pressure of a hand grasping his right arm through his thin coat. Kieran looked up at his father, finding that he lacked the courage to look into his eyes and find the disappointment he was sure the man was feeling. He didn't want a son anymore than he'd wanted to marry his mother and settle down.
"Listen. I'm trying, okay?" Kevin paused, but did not let go of his son's arm. "I'm not exactly...good at th-"
Kieran shook his head and removed his father's hand from his arm. "You don't have to be. I get it, all right? I get that you don't want me here. I get that you didn't want my mother around. I met you and now we can both move on with our lives like this never happened." He took a few steps towards the door, but was not able to make it past the wooden frame.
"Would you wait? Christ...you are your mother's son." Burkhoff sighed and shook his head. He ran a nervous hand through his graying hair and examined the young man who stood angrily before him. As much as he looked like Maggie, Kevin couldn't help but notice that looking at Kieran was like looking at a slightly altered version of himself at age seventeen.
"I'm listening."
"Before you walked in here I didn't have anyone to...I was alone. Not just literally speaking, but..." He sighed and tried to think of a better way to explain what he was trying to say. "When I was released from the hospital, there was no one waiting to take me home. I'm not exactly a people person. My social skills are less than adequate and I don't imagine I'd make a very good father." Kieran listened intently, not able to figure out where this conversation was going. "But I want to...that is, I'd like to...get to know you?" His last few words were formed like a question, as though he was expecting a negative answer.
"R-really?" Kieran was quite surprised by this turn of events. "I...okay. Okay." A small smile formed across his face. Burkhoff smiled as well, surprisingly relieved after saying what he felt needed to be said.
"If you want to go, I can drive you. I'm sure Maggie will want you home. And I don't need to give her another reason to hate me," he said, the same smile still playing on his lips. Kieran's smile faded into a frown at the mention of his mother. He forgot that his father knew nothing of her death.
"My mother...died. It's been almost a month. She was sick for a while..." Talking about his mother still brought a fresh, dull ache to the pit of his stomach. He didn't really get time to grieve, what with the landlord kicking him out and the dealers looking to settle Maggie's debt. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just..." He shrugged in a defeated manner, not knowing what else to say.