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Footsteps come closer to Mike's room. Normally, William will wake Elizabeth in the middle of the night, ranting and raving about bringing Evan back or how her mom isn't /really/ dead or that one day, Henry Emily is going to be a part of their family. He hardly ever looks at Michael anymore if it isn't to hit him or yell at him, making tonight an anomaly.
Mike pretends to be asleep as his bedroom door creaks open. A part of him thinks that his father might kill him right now. William had never been stable, but recently, he's been declining faster and faster.
He shudders when he feels William's spindly fingers brush back his hair in a way that seems tender and loving.
"Michael..." William sits down on the bed, gently shaking his son. "Sweetheart. I know you're not asleep. Get up," He croons.
"Father?" He sits up, confused and suspicious. William had never been an affectionate man, acting almost repulsed by the idea of touch. The fact that he's being so amiable means he's either having some kind of episode, or he's especially drunk.
"Hi, son." William smiles, wrapping his arms around his eldest child in a way that's jarringly soft and nearly maternal, closer resembling how his wife used to act towards their children than the harshness that he had portrayed to them. "You know, love, I thought about killing you tonight. But I decided against it."
Michael can smell the alcohol on him as he tenses up in the hug.
"I thought about strangling you. It would be so easy." The contrast between his loving actions and tone versus his threats nears being comical. "But not tonight. Maybe some other time." He strokes Michael's hair. "I've been wanting to do you in since the day you were born, but I could never decide if I should be the one to bury you or if you should be the one to bury me. I still can't decide. You ruined my life, Michael. Did you know that? I never wanted you."
"I'm sorry, father." He doesn't know what he's apologizing for, but he feels like that's what William is looking for. Better to comply than to make him angry. He pushes down his repulsion and lets his father hold him, wincing when William suddenly grabs a fistfull of his hair and pulls hard, no doubt removing a hefty amount of strands before returning to gently caressing his locks. "You're scaring me."
"Oh, I'm sure Evan was more scared when you killed him." William sighs. Despite Michael's trembling and obvious fear, this position reminds him of back when Mike was only a toddler, climbing up onto his lap, so desperate and needy for his father's love. It's nostalgic, really. "You hate me. I know you do."
"You've given me plenty of reasons to hate you."
"My father was worse to me. I practically treat you like a king." William tightens his hold on his son. "But it's okay. Remember when you were little and I would hold you like this? Or when I would sing you to sleep when you had a nightmare? You were always right there by my side. A real daddy's boy, you were."
"No, I dont remember that..." Michael mutters. William never did any of that. He was neglectful and spiteful and abusive. He isn't sure if his father even knows that he's making things up or if he's so deep into his own delusions that he's tricked himself into believing these false memories.
"I miss when you were little... I miss making you cry."
That's more in line with how William really was. "Father, would you please let go of me?"
"You're turning out like me." William ignores the request. "You look just like me and considering what you didn't your brother, you're going to end up acting like me too." He sounds proud. "I saw myself in you when you were covered in his blood."
"I dont want to be like you."
"I know. I don't want to be like me either," He laughs. "You're a horrible child. If you hadn't killed your brother, then your mom would still be here. Did you know that? The only reason I haven't burned this house down with both of us inside it is because I don't want Lizzie to get hurt. I really, truly wish it had been you who died instead of Evan."
"I know, Father."
"You think you know everything." Theres a moment of silence where William just sways both himself and Michael back and forth. It would be serene if he hadn't just threatened his son multiple times. "If you ever leave me, Michael, I'll kill myself."
"Dad-"
"Don't call me that. You know I don't like it when you call me that. Now, what did I tell you to call me?"
"You told me to call you 'Father'..."
"Good, good" William pulls away, looking his son in the eyes that so closely resemble his own. "I love you, Mikey. I think I'll kill you soon." William kisses his son's forehead. "Goodnight." Humming to himself, he gets up and leaves, disappearing down the hallway that he came from.
The next day, he doesn't remember the encounter and Michael doesn't mention it.