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“Don’t lie to me you little brat, I know you took it!” Mickey could hear Lissa growl from the back seat. He rolled his eyes, knowing she was still upset about not getting to ride in the passenger seat with him.
“No I didn’t!” Anna squealed with her angry high pitched voice. Mickey didn’t so much as see it rather than he heard the futile punch Anna had wheeled at her older sister with her tiny fist. And that set off a fight in the back seat of the car and Mickey was honestly not in the mood to hear either of their bickering.
“If you guys could chill the fuck out for a second,” Mickey exclaimed, looking to glare at them both through the rearview mirror, “that’d be much appreciated.” It got their attention and Mickey could tell that they were about to team up and go against him in a second. Fucking sister bond or some shit.
“’Fuck’ is a bad word, daddy.” Anna stated, raising her chin high and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, Mickey,” Lissa agreed, cutting her eyes as blue as his own. She knew calling out to Mickey by his first name didn’t mean much to him, but when he knew she was trying to get a rile out of him, it got her exactly what she wanted.
“You guys don’t have to be there, you know? I can turn around and drop you guys off at your Aunt Fi’s and pick up Ian on my own.” Mickey’s threat had them both gasping and apologizing, begging to continue on their journey to the airport.
It had been years since the whole family has been together. 15 years later and Ian and Mickey were going strong, living east of their neighborhood but still fairly close. Their eldest daughter, Lissa, was 13 years old and Anna was only 6. The last time Anna had seen her daddy Ian, technically, was only four months prior; but Lissa had more of a memory of Ian being with them, living, eating, being in their Milkovich-Gallagher house. When Lissa was about 7 or 8, Ian got called to work out at the Marine base stationed in California. Ian made it his duty as a father and husband to visit when they gave him time, but it was nothing like finally getting to come home-like today.
“No!” Anna wailed. She only knew of him from the week every 4 months that he came to visit, but she was old enough to understand. “I wanna go to a airport and pick up Ian.”
Mickey sighed. “Anna, what did we say Ian was?”
She rolled her eyes. “’Papa’ sounds weird. I’m never gonna remember that.”
Lissa patted her sister’s knee. “I believe you, but someone has faith that you can handle it.” Her smile was fake and menacing.
“Lissa…” Mickey threatened, glancing back at her again through the mirror.
“The things I go through for that asshole,” Mickey muttered as he put himself back together after security check. He guesses he understood the whole safety shit or whatever, but airports were absolutely ridiculous.
He watched Lissa help Anna trudge through the whole thing; he found it amusing how they could possibly hold hands and still yell at each other- that was him and Mandy. “Guys ready? We’re about 10 minutes early. We can go get some expensive ass food and wait for him in his terminal.”
“Is that Ian’s plane?” Anna asked for the dozenth time in the last 5 minutes as they sat and waited. Mickey was about to say no for the dozenth time when the lady called out that Flight B13 was coming in and that everyone that would be getting on that flight should get ready.
Mickey’s heart thrummed against his chest like a woodpecker had found its way into his chest. He’d talked to Ian almost every night for the past 5 years, made most of the one week he saw him face to face, and yet this all seemed too different, like he hadn’t seen Ian in that 5 years he was away. He tried to calm himself- for his girls’ sakes- he told himself. But as he caught sight of red hair walking towards them, it was like the first time, finally getting back what you’ve been wanting for years; like finally see your favorite book come to life after years of waiting.
He willed himself to stay firmly standing while his daughters were off, running toward their dad finally home to stay. He greeted them with open arms, smile brighter than the sun, as far as Mickey was concerned. Anna ran and leapt to Ian, exclaiming “Papa!” and that didn’t do much to spur the wild beating of Mickey’s heart, to hear Anna accept truly in a moment of pure emotion that Ian was like Mickey: her father and protector. Lissa followed Anna, not having as far to reach with the foot she had over her sister. She squealed as Ian picked them up, guiding them over to wear Mickey stood.
“I’ve missed you guys,” Ian mumbled to them, alternating between kissing them both on the head. Setting them down on the ground, he continued, “Seriously; you’re all of I’ve been talking about for the past week. I think everyone was kinda glad I was leaving; at least they wouldn’t have to hear me talk anymore.”
Once Ian finally looked to Mickey, the conversation between them drowned out every noise around; all the hustling and bustling, voices over speakers, people getting ready to board and flights coming in, all of it was a dull buzz that got quieter with every passing step as the space between them closed.
“Bitch,” Mickey mumbled in greeting, trying to keep a smile from spreading across his features.
“Asswipe,” Ian said back, stepping ever so closely so that they shared the same breath.
And at the same moment, both lost whatever they held onto for the past 5 years, coming to meet each other lips on lips. Ian’s hands found their way to Mickey’s waist, bringing him closer if that was even possible, while Mickey’s arms were wrapped around the red head’s neck, pulling him down or to raise himself- Mickey wasn’t sure.
It was the sound of cooing, the ‘aww’s and ‘how sweet’s that brought them back to where they stood at the airport.
Letting go reluctantly, resting their foreheads against each other, Ian whispered. “I missed you.”
Mickey nodded in agreement, adding on “So much” with a heavy sigh of relief.
They were brought out of their own little world completely when Lissa called out. “Papa,” she grunted, barely able to get Ian’s bag off the ground while Anna couldn’t even move his other one. Ian laughed, going to help them. Mickey admired how easily Ian picked up his bags, showing how much stronger he was. “Let’s go home,” Mickey said.
“Holy shit, Madame,” Mickey complained when they got to the car. Ian had finally handed over his bags that Mickey generously said he’d put in the trunk. But Mickey could feel his muscles straining to keep the bags in his hands. “When did you get so many fucking clothes and shit?”
Ian only smiled, closing the door after Lissa and Anna slid into the back seat. “Fuck you,” was his only answer.
Mickey grunted, letting the bags fall into the trunk and letting the door fall shut before walking over to Ian with suggestive eyes. “I mean, I was gonna suggest we wait until later, but if you got it in you…” He trailed off, his lips brushing against Ian’s. He smiled at Ian’s hitch in breath, loving how he could possibly still tease him after 15 years of being together together.
Lissa banged on the window, glaring at the couple. It was easy to tell that her eyes were saying no one wanted to see whatever shit they were cooking up for when they got home. Mickey glared back, but stepped back, letting Ian round the car to the passenger seat.
Once they were starting their drive down the expressway, something donned on Ian. “It’s Tuesday,” He stated.
“Wow, nothing gets pass you, huh?” Mickey gives Ian a side glance and a smile before looking back to the road.
“Why aren’t they in school?”
“We wanted to come with daddy to pick you up,” Anna piped up.
Ian turned to Mickey. “School before anything else, remember?” His voice was solemn and serious.
Mickey twitched with Ian’s stare burning into the side of his face. “They wanted to see their dad. Is that so bad? You’ve been gone for a long time-“
“We’re taking them to school.” Ian stated it like there was no arguing the decision. It was true.
“It’s already 10:30, man. By the time we get to their school with this traffic, it’s gonna be lunch time.”
Ian shrugged. “Better late than never.”
Mickey looked then, seeing Ian give him the eyes, the look that had Mickey forgetting his resistances to a subject. He sighed, changed lanes to get on the track that took them pass their house and to school.
Anna groaned. “Ms. Moser is gonna throw a bitchfit at me,” she grumbled.
“Anna…” Ian and Mickey simultaneously called out, and they gave a smile to each other. Maybe it was because of how easy they could seep back into the parent mode no matter how long they’ve been apart.
Lissa may have had her father’s features, his blue eyes and full lips and black waves that went straight down her back, but Anna had Mickey’s attitude. It was quite perfect to Mickey’s eyes. With the look of innocence in her hazel, doe-like eyes and strawberry blond strands to frame her chubby face, no one would suspect she’d be quick to pick a fight.
But to the six years-old’s eyes, she wasn’t doing anything wrong. The girls whose hair was gripped tight in her fist, or the back she straddled while she pushed the boy’s face into the grass, they all deserved, they had it coming. So having Ms. Moser keep an eye on her, she didn’t understand it. She wasn’t aware of what it was called until she heard Mickey use the term ‘bitchfit’ and it all made perfect sense. But her daddy told her she shouldn’t say it in public; people would get too frightened by it. So she kept it at home.
They made it to school 10 minutes before their 3rd period was ending. They were both escorted to their classes after Mickey had taken them to the front office, explaining to the front desk why they absent (the lady at the front desk looked almost disappointed at the news; gay. She just couldn’t catch a break, could she?). And by lunch, Lissa and Anna went their separate ways.
“Hi, Anna!” a blond haired boy, Jeremy, greeted her as she walked into the cafeteria. He scooted over so she could sit next to him. “Where were you today? We needed you with that math game Ms. Moser makes us play. We lost.”
Anna shrugged, taking one of Jeremy’s tater tots. He didn’t mind it; he never minded anything she did. He liked how tough she was. But he wouldn’t let her know that. “I had to go pick up my papa today from the airport. He came back from California.”
“But he was just here yesterday,” Jeremy prodded, unable to grasp her words.
“No, my other dad. He was in the Marinas or something like that.”
“You’re lying,” a boy called Skylar, belted out from across the table. “You can’t have two dads. You can only have a dad and a mom.”
“You’re wrong. I got two daddies. Twice the awesomeness.”
“What are you stupid? That’s impossible.”
Anna glared at the sneering face of Skylar. She hated when people called her stupid. She wasn’t stupid. She was the smartest one in her class by far.
Before anyone at the table could see it coming, Anna reached across the table and slammed his face down onto the table, making the length of it vibrate. She didn’t miss a beat, swinging her fist to the side of his head when he finally got his head back up. She shot up, dragging him from where he sat until he was on the floor on his stomach and her with his legs gripped around his head as she sat on his shoulders. She lifted her fist, ready to punch when she felt a familiar clasp under her arms and swinging her away and back to standing position.
“He called me a liar and stupid!” she yelled out, knowing Ms. Moser would only see the fact that she was ready to beat the little shit to a pulp.
“He could call you the Devil Incarnate,” Ms. Moser growled. “I don’t care! Violence is not the answer and we’ve been over this lesson a dozen times, Anna!”
“But I do have two daddies!” She crossed her arms.
Ms. Moser turned back to her with confusion, as if the girl had gone demented. “No you don’t. You only have one daddy,” she corrected the little girl. “You must be mistaken.”
Her new target was the old lady, still looking at her as if she was crazy. But before she could pounce on her, someone had grabbed on to hold her back. It was Lissa.
Calmly-ignoring the flailing girl in her arms- she spoke to Ms. Moser. “I know what to do.” And hauled her off to the front office where the principal would soon get a call about the infamous Anna Gallagher-Milkovich.
Mickey sighed as he ended the phone call. “We have to go back to the school,” he announced as he proceeded to make an illegal U-turn on an empty street.
“Why? What happened?”
“Anna got into a fight.”
Ian sat up, not surprised that she got into a fight but- “She just got there! How the fuck-“
“Yeah, we’re gonna find out.”
Once they drove back to the school, both entered the front office where they found Lissa sitting , holding Anna’s bruised hand. The lady at the front desk, while eyeing the gorgeous red head that came in with Mickey, instructed that the principal and Ms. Moser would be with them shortly.
Mickey and Ian kneeled in front of Anna, who had her head down to let her hair fall in front of her face. “What happened, kiddo?” Mickey asked.
“Skylar said I was a lying about Ian being my dad and that I was stupid. Then Ms. Moser said I was ‘mistaken’ that I only had one daddy.”
Ian stroked Anna’s hair. “Well you know I’m real; why does it matter what everyone else thinks?”
Anna shrugged and the door opened. Ms. Moser stood sternly, her face expressing she wasn’t nor would she ever be in the mood to deal with this shit. The front desk lady said they could go back to the principal’s office now, and they all followed to the room in the back.
The Principal, Mrs. Johnson, stood to greet the crowd. Ms. Moser remained standing while the make-shift family took seats in front of the desk.
“So, Anna,” Mrs. Johnson directs to Anna. “I hear you got into another fight. This is your…” she opens up the file she retrieved moments before, “third one in the last two months. What happened?”
“Skylar said I was a liar. And then he said I was stupid. I’m not stupid.” She grabbed Ian’s wrist and tugged on it. “Ian’s my daddy- Papa. I call him Papa.”
Ian smiles, aware of the trouble Anna had with keeping up with name. It seemed to come easily now, and he almost forgot why what she did was wrong.
“Sweetie,” Ms. Moser cooed, trying to sound calming and caring but missing horribly and just sounding condescending. “Mickey is your daddy.” She pointed to Mickey sitting on the other side of her. She looked to Ian, giving him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, sir. Are you with Mickey’s sister? Close relationships can sometimes make the boundaries and actual standings blurry.” She patted his shoulder, letting her hand linger for a second too long and Mickey caught it. So when Ian opened his mouth to retort, he spoke up instead.
“Ian’s my husband,” he says to Mrs. Johnson, but making it clear that he was talking to Ms. Moser as well. He shared his daughter’s abhorrence for the woman, even if it was a simple misunderstanding at this point.
Ian nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been in the Marines, stationed in California for the past five years. I just got back officially today and our daughters wanted to tag along with Mickey to pick me up from the airport.”
Mrs. Johnson’s face remained unfazed as she nodded, accepting the news. “Well, we weren’t aware of the situation, Mr…Milkovich?”
“Gallagher,” again they spoke simultaneously.
“There’s still a little boy with a broken nose in the nurse’s office,” Ms. Moser reminded, her voice on edge and slightly trembling. Embarrassment, they guessed.
“Wow, a broken nose?” Mickey repeated in awe. He leaned in to ask Anna quietly, “How did that happen?”
She giggled when Ian reached over her to slap the back of Mickey’s head.
“We’re sorry,” Ian said, directing the apology to the principal. “We’ll fix this somehow.”
“Maybe with both parents home she can learn to control herself,” Ms. Moser added as they rose, ready to leave. They shook Ms. Johnson’s hand one at a time.
“Do I have to go back to class?” Anna asked in a bit of a whiny voice, looking up both her dads.
They looked to each other, and they can read it in their eyes that that would probably not be the best idea.
“How about we just go home and try again tomorrow, ok?” Ian said, nodding to the principal who stood at her door. “And tomorrow, you’re gonna apologize to the kid, got it?”
“What for? Little shit doesn’t know what he was talkin’ about?” Anna grumbled.
Now Ian only looked to where she could have gotten that term from. “What?” Mickey asked, feeling uncomfortable and guilty under those hard eyes. “Let’s just go home.”
They could vaguely hear Lissa and Anna yelling from where the laid in their bed. Ian sighed, relaxed.
“I miss this,” he states, his voice hush. He looks down to where he was absently making drawing on Mickey’s arm.
Mickey sat up to kiss Ian fully, deeply. There wasn’t any reason to go fast, now that Ian was here to stay. They could go as slow as they wanted, reconnecting with every part of each other’s skin, every pattern of their beating hearts as they chased a blissful high.
Ian shifted and Mickey allowed Ian access to settle in between his legs while they continued to discover each other- starting with their lips and tongues. His hands didn’t stop roaming, however; going from where they started at Mickey’s cheek, caressing the skin there before wondering down his jaw, his neck, his shoulder. Then his lips would follow, tongue and teeth to mark every landmark on Mickey’s body. Mickey had one hand buried in Ian’s fiery red hair and the other above his head, resting in a position and ready to grab onto anything when he knew he would. He moaned as Ian went down further, his tongue leaving a scorching trail that had his blood boiling and skin he was in seemed too hot. “Oh God…” he mumbled, feeling Ian’s mouth going down further and further…
There was a loud clanging sound followed by screaming- whether it was from Lissa or Anna, they couldn’t quite tell-loud enough to be heard clearly through the confines of their room and Ian deflated, letting his head fall on Mickey’s stomach. “Oh fuck.” He lifted his head and laughed at Mickey’s annoyed expression. “We should probably let them spend a few nights at Mandy’s house,” Ian suggested, crawling back up Mickey’s body.
“Oh God, anywhere but here,” Mickey agreed with a abandon, grabbing Ian’s neck and sneaking in another deep kiss before they were both interrupted by their daughters calling for them.
“Man, I missed this,” Ian said again, smiling down at Mickey.
“We missed you, too.”