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Ian was working in the Kash'n'Grab like usual. He used to work here as a Teenager too, fucked his boss Kash.
All that was long in the past now.
Ian was 23 by now, back when he was 17 he ran away from home, came back a few months later and started working in the store again. Linda needed the help. By now, Ian was practically running the store by himself. It gave him enough time to finish school and right now he was thinking about his options, deciding where to go from this point. Until then, working in the store was enough.
Back then, he ran away because... well because he was a stupid teenager.
He was in love with another stupid Teenager, Mickey.
After all those years, he still had to smile when he thought about him, the name was still making him feel butterflies in his stomach, the thought of him made him happy - but only for a few seconds. Then he remembered what happened and it felt like someone was stabbing every single butterfly.
Mickey and Ian were fucking around when they were young, they fell in love, well Ian fell in love. He was sure, Mickey loved him too, but he never said so. Ian wanted to be Mickeys boyfriend, wanted to be with him and never let him go.
But things came differently. Way differently.
One day, Mickeys dad caught them. It was horrible. Terrys punishment for Mickey was horrible.
Ian himself had needed months to work through it.
It ended with Mickey being forced to marry a whore that was, allegedly, pregnant by him. And Ian, Ian was a stupid teenager that wasn't able to grasp what actually happened back then in Mickeys living room.
He was angry at Mickey for getting married, he had no good word left for him, no comfort, nothing. Just thoughtless jokes and guilttrippings.
After the wedding Ian needed to leave. He just needed to get out and get away for a while. He needed to sort out what happened to him and Mickey- and he realised how horrible his behaviour had been towards the boy he loved so much.
So, Ian came back, but Mickey and Svetlana were gone.
No One knew where they went. Mandy refused talking to Ian, because she too, fully grasped what had happened by now and was angry at Ian. They didn't speak in years.
Ian sighed at the thought of Mickey.
How often had he stared at his contact on his phone and in the end didn't pluck up the courage to call him.
Ian sighed, the store was empty today. He looked outside boredly. In his teenage years he would have been glad about the lack of customers, because he would have used the chance to go with Mickey (or Kash before that) to the backroom and fuck his brains out.
Now he had nothing else to do than reading the magazine's they were selling or watching the passer-by's pass by.
Suddenly, a little boy caught his eyes. He was standing in front of the store and cried.
Ian opened the door to the store and looked around, no one seemed bothered by the crying child. He couldn't be older than five or four. He had long blond hair, jeans and a grey cardigan over a red t-shirt.
"Hey, kid" Ian said softly to him, "Why are you crying? Where are your parents?"
"I don't know" the boy sobbed, "I don't know where I am"
"Oh" Ian mumbled and sighed, "Hey, stop crying. We will find your parents okay? Come inside at first."
He shook his head, " My dad said, I can't go with strangers."
"Your dad is right, you shouldn't go with strangers. But look, it's just a store, you can wait inside until your dad gets here, okay?"
The boy sobbed again, but eventually nodded and went inside the store.
Ian lifted the boy up and sat him on the counter next to the register. He quickly got some candy and gave it to the child.
"What's your name?"
"Yevgeny" he mumbled.
"Do you know where you were when you saw your parents for the last time?"
Yevgeny pushed his long blond hair out of his face, "Dad and I are here to visit my auntie. We were in the park and we had a fight. I was mean to dad and he got loud, so I ran away", he started crying harder again, "And now I'm lost, and I will never see him again!"
"No, hey, everything will be fine, kiddo. Do you know your dad's first name? Or the name of your aunt? Or her address?"
Yevgeny shook his head, "No, but... But dad said, when I ever get lost, I need someone to call him."
"Call him, great, but I guess you don't know his phone number, do you?"
Yevgeny sobbed again and dug in the pocket of his jeans. He pulled a small paper with a phone number out.
"He said I need to show this paper."
"Good" Ian smiled, "Your dad is a smart man."
Ian took the paper and read the note.
If he is lost and you find him, please call me
Under that was his number scribbled down.
"Okay, I call your dad and he will get you and everything will be fine, okay?"
Yevgeny nodded, he was still crying.
Ian took his phone out and started dialling the number.
"Yes, hello?", an obviously worried man picked up immediately.
"Hey, I think I found your son."
"Oh, thank god, where is he?"
Ian licked his bottom lip, the voice was strangely familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Uhm, The Kash'n'Grab store" he said and mentioned the address.
"Yeah, I know where that is, thank you, I'll be there in a second!" And he hung up.
"Hey, Yevgeny, your dad will be here in a minute okay?"
Yevgeny looked at him with big blue eyes, "Thank you"
"No problem buddy. You want something to drink?"
Just five minutes later, a man pretty much ran into the store and up to the counter immediately.
Ian was standing between the shelves at the moment, restocking some Pringles, when he heard the bell above the door ringing.
"God, Yevgeny!"
"Daddy!"
Ian stopped, he knew that voice.
"I was so worried about you, you can't just run away like that. You scared the shit out of me"
Ian came up from between the shelves. I he almost couldn't believe it.
There stood Mickey Milkovich and hugged the blond child tightly.
"Mickey?" Ian whispered.
Mickey pulled back from his son and looked in Ian's direction surprised.
"Ian? What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing..." He looked from Mickey to Yevgeny and bit his lip, "He's your son?"
Mickey looked at the ground conflicted.
"You've got a new phone number" Ian said eventually.
Mickey shrugged.
"I guess we should leave. Thanks for your help" Mickey mumbled, "Come Yevy", he took Yevgeny down from the counter.
"Mickey, wait" Ian walked towards him, "Don't leave, just yet."
Mickey looked up at him and bit his lip.
"Mandy's waiting for us at home..."
Ian looked at him with begging eyes.
Mickey swallowed, "Hey Yevy, why don't you go through the store and look if you find us some snacks for movie night, huh?", he said to his son.
The kid grinned and ran off quickly towards the snack aisle.
Ian smiled at Mickey. They stood next to the counter.
"Since when are you back?" Mickey asked.
"I was only gone for four months. And when I came back... You were gone."
Mickey shrugged, "After you left nothing was holding me here anymore. I got some money from my family for the wedding, so I used the first chance I got to get away from my dad. Took Svetlana with me, obviously."
Ian nodded, "You got a cute child."
"Thanks.", Mickey mumbled, "Believe it or not, he's actually mine."
Ian smiled, "You're visiting Mandy?"
"Yeah. She was fed up with always driving down to us, and since dad is in prison right now, I agreed to visit her."
Ian nodded and looked at his fingers, "Is your wife here too?"
"No." Mickey scoffed, "Stupid slut bailed. At first, she ruined my life with that pregnancy and then she noticed that raising a child with no money and a husband who hates her isn't exactly easy. So, she took her things and ran off. Left me alone with Yevy when he was barely a year old."
"Oh... But you didn't bail" he said and looked back to where Yevgeny disappeared between the aisles, "Even though you said, she ruined your life with the pregnancy."
"Yeah she did. I had to marry her, and you ran away from me. That's pretty fucking ruined if you ask me. But..." He shrugged and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "I love that kid, what can I do?"
Ian smiled softly at him.
"I miss you, Mickey." He confessed, "Every day. When I ran away, I needed to clear my head... I realised what an asshole I was to you and I came back to... to beg you for forgiveness and to take me back. But you were already gone."
Mickey shrugged, "Yeah, our timing was always a bit fucked, huh?" He smiled at him, "I miss you too. Thought a lot about you."
Yevgeny came running back to them in that moment and held up some bags of chips and sweets.
"I got everything we need"
Ian chuckled, "He's got a sweet tooth, like you."
Mickey rolled his eyes but smiled.
"Hey, dad, maybe the nice man wants to come to movie night, too" Yevgeny said to Mickey.
Mickey scratched the back of his head and looked at Ian.
"Just, Mands, Yev and me watch some marvel stuff."
"Spiderman, you promised Spiderman!"
"I promised Spiderman. You could... come over if you want to..."
Ian smiled, "Sounds great. A bit like old times"
Mickey smiled, "Yeah, I guess."
When they were young and just started hooking up, it was often that Mandy and Ian had a sleepover and watched some movie, and Mickey invited himself and watched with them, just to secretly fuck in the bathroom as soon as Mandy was asleep.
Yevgeny grinned and put his chips on the counter so Ian could ring them up. Ian just grinned, took a small box from nearby, put Yevgeny's snacks in and gave it to Mickey.
"Why don't you just take what you want and go. Like old times?"
Mickey looked at him with raised eyebrows and showed a wide grin, "You're seducing me into stealing, Gallagher. You still have it in you, huh? Yevy, say goodbye to Ian."
Yevy waved at him, "But we see each other, tonight right?"
"Sure, Yevgeny. I'll be there."
Yevy grinned and already went to the door.
Mickey grinned at Ian, quickly leaned towards to peck his lips, "Just Like old times, Gallagher. See you tonight", and the Milkovich left the store, leaving Ian behind stunned, the feelings of Mickeys lips still on his.
He started smiling widely and laughed happily. That man just and a him purely happy. He felt a bit like the seventeen year old Ian who just got his first kiss from Mickey.
Like old times, indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian knocked on the door of the old Milkovich house for the first time in a good 5 years. To his surprise was it Mandy, who opened the door.
"Hey, Mandy... long time no see", he said nervously, "You look good."
Mandy rolled her eyes, stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
"You've got some nerves showing up here, Ian Gallagher."
Ian bit his bottom lip, "Yevgeny and Mickey invited me."
"Well, Yevgeny has no idea what happened between you two and Mickey is an idiot. Mickey is in a good place right now, okay? He is happy, he has his son, he just started dating guys again. And now you want to come in just to ruin it again?"
Ian’s wallowed hard, "I don't want to ruin anything, I never did."
"You hurt him"
"I know, but that was five fucking years ago, Mandy. We both hurt each other, and I just want to spend time with him now, is that so wrong?"
"Just want to spend time with him? To just break his heart again, or what?"
"No, I... I missed him. He said, he missed me too. All I ever wanted was to be with him, so let me in and spend this one fucking evening with him. Come on, you were my best friend for years."
"Yeah, but I'm still his sister. And I'm Yevy's aunt."
"Well, this isn't about you. This is about me and Mickey. So, the only one who gets to tell me to leave, is Mickey himself.", he said sternly.
The door behind her opened again, Mickey came into sight, "What are you two doing out here?"
Mandy angrily glanced at Ian before turning back around to Mickey, "Nothing", she said and walked past him back inside.
Ian walked up to Mickey, "Hey", he smiled.
Mickey smiled back at him, "Glad you made it. Hope Mandy didn't annoy you as much as she annoyed me the last few hours.", he let Ian inside.
"Did she ask you to send me away?"
Mickey nodded, "But I'm not doing that. So take your shoes off, Yevy's all excited that you're coming over."
Ian grinned at him, took his shoes off and went into the living room.
The house looked exactly like it did five years ago... his eyes fell on the couch... the couch his and Mickey's life got wracked on.
He needed a second to compose himself before Yevgeny came running into the living room.
"Ian!", the kid exclaimed, "You came, Auntie Mandy said, you wouldn't come but Dad and I knew you would! I'll get the chips, dad you have to put on the movie now!"
"Aye, aye, captain", Mickey grinned, and Yevgeny ran back towards the kitchen.
Ian smiled at Mickey, "You're a great dad... somehow I never pictured you like this prior to today... it's nice."
Mickey shrugged, "Just trying to be better than my dad... or yours. Which is a low bar, but I'm doing my best."
Ian smiled even brighter at the man.
"What are you so smiley about?", Mickey asked.
"Just... you being like this... it's refreshing. Those past five years did you good."
Mickey shrugged, "Being away from Terry is good for everyone. Don't just stand there, sit down."
Ian hesitantly looked at the couch. Mickey realized the reason for Ian's sudden discomfort and sat down himself, he petted the seat next to him, "It's alright, Ian, forget about... that."
Ian bit his bottom lip and eventually sat down, Mickey smiled at him.
"There is no forgetting about that... I treated you horribly after this while I should have... been there for you, Mick, I'm-"
"Ian, shut up", Mickey said quickly but softly, "I don't want to think about that. It's not important right now, okay? I just want to spend this evening with you here next to me, can you give me that?"
Ian nodded eagerly, "I'll give you everything you want from me."
Mickey smiled again, Yevgeny came back, balancing a big bowl with chips in his hand, he put it on the coffee table and crawled on the sofa as well, Mandy followed with some dips.
"We're watching Spiderman", Yevgeny told Ian, leaned over Mickey's legs, "Spiderman is the best superhero ever, right dad?"
"Yeah, Yevy, sure. Also, he looks really good in his suit."
Yevy groaned, "He is not a good superhero because of his looks, dad!", he dramatically draped his body over Mickey's lap, "You are only ever interested in how good they look."
Ian chuckled, this new Mickey was full of surprises, he was a good dad and apparently more open about being gay, even his son knew he liked guys.
Mickey started the movie while Yevgeny explain to Ian why Spiderman was the best Marvel hero of them all.
Mandy was pretty quiet all evening long, just watching Ian and Mickey.
Ian couldn't help but looking for body contact the whole time. Mickey had his hand, strategically, placed between them, and Ian let their fingers touch more and more until he just put his hand over Mickeys, it was like a little game between them.
Ian felt more like a stupid teenager than he did when he was seventeen, but in a good way this time. Mickey leaned closer to Ian over the course of the movie, until their shoulders touched, and Mickey leaned back against him, placing his head on his shoulder.
Only when Mandy was asleep, she always fell asleep pretty quickly when they watched movies, the two men allowed themselves to get a little bolder.
Ian put his arm around Mickey and pulled him closer.
After half of the movie, Yevgeny was asleep too, it had been an exhausting day for him.
Mickey turned half around to Ian, looking at him.
"This is better than the old times", Ian mumbled and ran a hand through Mickey's hair, "You wouldn't let me do this back then... you weren't as open about being gay"
Mickey shrugged, "I am now. Like I said, our timing was always a bit fucked."
"Maybe our timing is right this time", Ian looked at him with hopeful eyes, "Stay here, Mick... stay with me, be with me."
Mickey looked at him surprised, "We aren't teenagers anymore, Ian, it's not so easy, I've got a child."
Ian licked his bottom lip, "Is there another guy?", he asked and didn't look into Mickey's eyes.
"What?"
"Mandy said, you started dating again."
Mickey sighed, "Who could ever compare to you?", he shook his head, "I hooked up with a few guys and went on a date with one dude who was crushing on me. But they weren't exactly 'boyfriend material' for me and very fucking far from being 'stepdad material' or some bullshit like that."
"You're looking for a stepdad for Yevgeny?"
"No, I'm looking for a boyfriend... a tough, but at the same time soft and silly Irishman, who cares about people and is stubborn and ambitious and who makes me kiss him by working on my stupid jealousy, who knows me enough to know how to do that without me realising it. I don't want to date any another guy than that one. But everyone who dates me, has to know that Yevy is always part of it and always comes first. That if Yevy would say 'leave' he'd have to leave."
Ian looked at him, Mickey had been the only boy he ever really loved, he had dated others in the last years, sure, but no one could ever reach Mickey.
The Gallagher finally, just pulled Mickey to him and kissed him deeply.
When they separated again, Ian said breathlessly: "I love you, Mickey... I loved you since we were stupid teenagers and I would give up my whole fucking life here and even come with you just to be with you and not lose you again, you hear me?"
Mickey smiled at him, "You did hear the part about Yevgeny, right?"
"Yes", Ian nodded, "And that you're such a great dad who puts his son before any other guy just makes me want you more. Just give this a try, Mick, please"
Mickey ran his hand through Ian's red hair, "No reason to beg, Gallagher, I want to be with you, too. Never wanted anything else. And actually... I'm kinda between jobs right now, because that guy I went on a date with and who I rejected was kinda my boss's son. So, nothing's holding me there... I could just come back as long as dad's in prison."
Ian kissed him again, "Stay here, Mickey, let us be together, finally."
Mickey smiled, he had his arms wrapped around Ian's neck, "Yeah, I'll stay here. As long as you keep kissing me like this", he smiled, then looked at him unsurely, licked his bottom lip, "I love you too, you know? Always did."
Ian grinned widely and kissed him again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+
The next day, Ian was almost late for work. He had the biggest smile on his lips, scratch marks on his back and a small hickey on his neck.
Linda was already waiting for him, she looked angry.
"Ian, I made inventory last night. Some chips and candy are missing, do you know anything about this?"
Ian just smiled at her, "Mickey Milkovich is back... and he stays."