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Mickey
They were at most an hour from the border when Mickey changed his mind. He knew it wasn't fair; not fair to take his free will away from Ian. But this wasn't the path Ian’s life was supposed to take, at least not in a split second decision he made on a deadline. Mickey doesn’t want to be the reason Ian is taken away from his family with no explanations, to be the reason why Ian loses his new life with his job, and even his fucking boyfriend. Mickey’s life hasn’t allowed him a lot of time for introspection, but he would have to be a special kind of oblivious to not know that he loved Ian Gallagher.
Mickey loved Ian Gallagher in a way that he had never thought he would love something in his life. He loved Ian Gallagher in the kind of all encompassing way that defied petty things like logic and reason. There were few things he loved in the world, and he drew them closer to his chest, keeping them close like he would lose them at any moment. And he had, slowly but steadily, lost them all. His mom, to her addictions, Mandy, to Indiana and his freedom, to prison. And now Ian, Christ Mickey knew he would have to lose him too. At least for now.
Ian, who sat beside him now, smiling brightly despite the fact that they were sitting in complete silence. Ian looked so happy in the moment, that Mickey felt even deeper grief. This was what he had always dreamt of when he was in prison; having Ian’s brightness back at his side, to be his forever. But not like this, Mickey told himself, not like this.
“Hey, wanna find a motel somewhere?” He asked suddenly, trying and actually succeeding at getting his voice to stay steady. Ian looked at him in surprise, eyebrows drawn together. “I guess? But we’re nearly there, Mick.” Mickey tucked his slightly shaking hands away where Ian couldn’t see them. “One last night as an American citizen?” he shrugged casually. Ian grinned.
///
There wasn't much of a selection of motels in the area they were in. They were all crappy as fuck, run down and full of seedy people. It didn't matter. They were there with each other, and crappy circumstances had never discouraged them. It was just one night, but it would have to be enough. Mickey was counting down the minutes, wishing for some phenomena that would leave them suspended in night forever. Ian didn't know it was their last night, so he spent minutes just lying down and playing with Mickey’s fingers. Mickey couldn’t bring himself to rush him. It wasn't just sex he had missed, he had missed Ian and the quiet hum of satisfaction that filled him whenever they were together.
Mickey was counting on a late night filled with fucking and primal pleasure, but Ian ended up falling asleep pretty early, while the light was still woven through the sky. Mickey sat awake, watching him, trying to convince himself to move. Five minutes, he argued with himself. This battle wouldn’t be lost for five minutes of buffer time. He lay down, and dug his face into Ian’s chest, moving up slightly till it was buried into the crook of Ian’s neck. The sleeping boy hummed slightly in his sleep, making Mickey freeze up, but Ian soon fell silent again. Mickey pressed a kiss against his neck, the last one he would get for a while, and finally pulled himself out of the bed.
He pulled on his clothes, grabbing a piece of paper from the ‘hotel stationary’ and a pen next to it. He scribbled on his note, tossed Ian’s money next to it, and with one last glance at the love of his life, left the room.
Ian
When Ian woke up, there was no warm body pressed against his. He groaned at the loss, but figured Mickey had just gone to brush his teeth. The little thug was surprisingly obsessed with oral hygiene. Ian stretched like a cat, cracking his back, and sat up. He opened his eyes slowly, looked around, and froze.
Mickey’s bags were gone. Ian’s money was on the counter, with what looked like note on top of it. “No, no, no.” Ian muttered under his breath, all sleep evaporated from his mind. He got out of the bed, tripping over the fallen covers on his way out. He picked up then note, eyes watering , “Mick, no.”
Ian,
I’m sorry. This isn’t fair to you, forcing you to give up your life for me. In a year, meet me in Tulum beach in Mexico, only if you want to. I wont be mad if you chose your new life. You deserve it.
I love you. I’ll miss you.
Mick
//
Ian made his way back home in a dazed kind of sadness. He had been a puppet for the last few months, just going through the motions and going through every day like it was a chore. Seeing Mickey, being with him, had been the first time he had felt alive in so long. Losing that felt kind of like having his lungs ripped out of his chest. And so Ian Gallagher returned to the Southside, backpack, money and note in hand, looking more than a little bit like a lost child.
He broke up with Trevor. It wasn't fair to him, to be used even as Ian was still in love with Mickey. It felt a little like cheating anyway, to be with anyone but Mickey now. He went to work, went back home, and went to sleep. Over and over and over again, stuck in the endless monotony of the ordinary. Fiona and Lip gave him concerned glances, sometimes even talking to him, suggesting visiting his therapist or changing his medication. Ian was tempted to tell them that it was heartbreak that was acting up, not his disorder, but he knew they would just shit on Mickey yet again. And he couldn’t take that. He couldn’t take hearing how bad Mickey was for him, when the other boy was so much more to him.
Ian ached with want, first thing when he woke up and last thing before he went to sleep. Not just for the physical, but just for Mickey’s familiarity and warmth. Sometimes he was so angry at Mickey, for making this decision for him. But then he thought about it and realised Mickey just wanted the best for him. Mostly he was just sad. He wondered what Mickey was doing Mexico, penniless and on the run. It wouldn’t be easy, but if anyone could do it, it was Mickey. He was the strongest person Ian knew.
A year passed by slowly, like dripping honey. By November, Ian had already booked his ticket. No return. A job transfer. Learnt some basic Spanish, even. He had something to look forward to; seeing Mickey again on Tulum beach, the beach they had been told by Damon was the most beautiful in Mexico. It wasn't until a week before he left that he sat his family down, telling them he was leaving. There was outcry, mainly from Fiona and Lip, but Ian made it clear that his decision was made and their inputs would have no impact on it.
On June 15th, a year after the last time he had seen the man who owned his heart, Ian Gallagher flew towards him. This time, he had his pills in hand, a plan in mind and Mickey waiting.
Everyone else
The two boys came to a standstill when they saw each other. One was a tall redhead in travel rumpled clothing, and the other was a tanned brunette in a rather tacky Hawaiian print shirt. They froze, and then nearly ran towards each other, colliding like they had been starving for that contact for far too long. Maybe they had been. They intertwined their limbs in a way that seemed final, until the ginger shoved his lover hard so he fell onto the sand beneath their feet. The brunette just smiled, like he had missed everything about the person in front of him, even his anger. Then the redhead lay down next to him and they curled together, kissing slowly but deeply. Who knew what their story was, what paths they had taken in their lives? But even to the clueless bystanders, it was clear that the paths to come would be ones they travelled together.