Work Text:
It took a while for Ian to start making progress, but Mickey was there the whole time. He stayed by his side for almost the entire time and he was soon able to see when Ian was feeling a little better.
It was one of those days when he walked in to see Ian sitting up in bed, playing with his hands and chewing on his lip. Mickey closed the door quickly behind him and went over to sit on the bed beside him.
"Hey, you’re up." He said, swallowing the lump that had built up in his throat.
Ian looked up at him and nodded, bags under his eyes and a very soft look on his broken face. “Yeah.” He said softly.
Mickey’s eyes searched his features, so happy to see him in any other position than curled up in a ball and so scared that tomorrow he would revert back.
He covered his hand with his own and looked into his eyes, his own already glassy and trying to find a way to show him what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
"Ian I…" He started.
He couldn’t finish it.
Instead he sat up closer to him and exhaled heavily because Ian was letting him touch him, he was letting him brush the hair out of his eyes and he wasn’t flinching away for the first time in a long while. Their eyes locked and he could still see that fear in Ian’s eyes but he could also see a light that hadn’t been there the day before.
Mickey’s hand cupped Ian’s chin and he bit his lip. He had never been able to keep eye contact for too long and so he looked away, down at their hands and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.
"Mick?" Ian croaked out softly.
"I’m here." He said, looking up again for a brief moment.
"Thanks." He said, and that was all he did in the way of talking.
Mickey sat up tall and put his arm over his shoulders, letting Ian snuggle into his chest and let out a shaky breath, snaking his arm across Mickey’s stomach and giving him the intimacy that had been lacking for too long.
"I ain’t going anywhere." He said, holding him tightly and hoping that it was only upwards from there.
So there’s no ‘i love you’ really but hopefully it’s a read between the lines deal :) thanks for the prompt anon!