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„Daddy Ian?“
Ian is standing in the kitchen, washing the dishes from the familys sunday dinner and Yevgeny has been sitting on the counter watching him for almost half an hour. A long time of sitting still for a 5-year old, so Ian knows something is up.
„What is it, bug?“ , he asks when he can't stand the tension in the room anymore. Yevgeny tilts his head to the side and attempts to start a sentence, but stops before one word comes out, hiding his face behind his hands. Ian laughs as he sees the little boy glance through his tiny fingers.
„Don't be shy, Yevy. What's going on in that beautiful mind?“, he asks in the melody of that one song that Mickey sometimes listens to when he thinks Ian is already asleep.
Yevgeny hesitates, stares down at the spider-man toy he's holding and takes a deep breath.When he talks, his voice is low, barely audible.
„How do you know when someone likes you?“
Ian throws his head back laughing and Yevgeny furrows his little brows, as he watches his dad scrub his special plate with the little dinosaurs on it.
„You don't have to know, bug. Everybody likes you, I promise!“
Yevgeny smiles at that, petting his dad's cheeks when he leans in for a quick kiss to his forehead.
„Noo, that's not what I mean,“ Yevgeny protests. Ian looks at him in askance and the little boy shrugs his shoulders.
„You like Daddy, is that correct?“
Ian bursts out in a laugh that sounds all the way through the small apartment their little family shares. Whenever Lip decides to babysit, suddenly, Yevgeny knows some new phrase or word that seems so odd from the mouth of a little boy.
„Yes, bug, that's correct!“
Yevgeny scratches his belly through his batman shirt.
„So how did you know he likes you, too?“
Good question. How do you explain a little boy a relationship as weird as Ians and Mickeys used to be?
„Well, with papa, I knew because he just kept coming around to see me.“
Mickey, decoyed by Ians laughter, approaches the kitchen and stops immediately when he realizes he's the topic of this conversation between his son and his love.
„He came around to see you? To play? Like when I go play with Liam?“
Yevgenys lisp make his words even cuter than they already are. Ian chuckles and puts the last plate to the side.
„Well, I wouldn't say that. We didn't really play. We just talked and, um,“ Ian feels a little trapped, trying to answer the question appropriately.
„sometimes we didn't talk all that much. But yeah, I knew he liked me then. He would always come back to me as soon as he could. So I knew he liked me, even if he didn't know back then.“
He dries his hands and moves over to stand in front of Yevgeny who reaches out one of his chubby hands to wipe some foam from his daddy's cheek. Ian turns his head and kisses the little fingers.
„Why do you wanna know?“
Yevgeny immediately starts blushing and he hugs his legs, hiding his face. Ian laughs and tickles the boy's neck until he's facing him again.
„Come on, you can tell me. Is there a girl in kindergarden that you like?“
Yevy doesn't say anything but the way he shyly stares at his fingers tells Ian he's right.
„Okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. That's your decision, bug. Do you think she likes you?“
Yevgeny finally looks up and his face is so hopeless that it hurts Ian's heart.
„I don't know. She said I'm small.“
Ian pets the boys head and leans down so their heads are at level. He tries to say something, but Mickey beats him to it. He walks into the kitchen, picks Yevy up so he is standing on the counter then he looks up to him.
„You're not small, see? You're way bigger than both of us.“
Ian, enticed by Mickeys efforts, smiles fondly and lays his arm around the smaller man's waist. Yevgeny doesn't seem convinced by his fathers argument, but he does seem to like for once being taller than everybody else.
Yevgenys dads share a typical 'they grow up so fast' look, then Ian offers the little boy his arms and they move from the kitchen to the living room couch.
Yevgeny takes a seat on his papas lap and he plays with the silver chain around his neck.
„So how do you know if someone likes you in general? I don't wanna ask her.“
Ian seems out of ideas, so Mickey chips in.
„Uh, well, is she nice to you? Does she want to spend time with you?“
The redhead smiles surpisedly, having thought that Mickey would talk his usual nonsense. Yevgeny thinks about it for a second, then nods.
„Well, then that's bullshit. When you like someone, you have to be mean to them, to not show any weakness. Remember that, Yev.“
Ian slaps his boyfriends forearm and shoots him a sharp look.
„Mickey.“
He turns to Yevgeny who seems confused and a little worried.
„Don't listen to Papa. If you like her, just be nice and most importantly, be yourself. If she likes you, you're lucky if she doesn't, she's craaaazy.“
He stretches the word and pulls a face to get that frown off the little boys face. With a little help from Mickey tickling his sides, Yevgeny bursts out into hearty laughter and seems to forget about his previous question.
A few hours later, when Yevgeny's fast asleep, Mickey and Ian settle down on the couch, turning on the TV buth they're both too tired and exhausted from the day to actually pay attention.
Ians legs are spread out over Mickeys lap and the thug runs a hand over the redheads leg. After a while, Ian laughs.
„What?“, Mickey asks, yawning passionately.
„Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about Yevs questions today, how weird was that?“
The older boy huffs and runs a hand over his face, attempting to get rid of the sleepiness lulling him in.
„Fucking five years old and already he's got relationship problems. Think we're in for a treat with him, once he's a little older.“
A little while later, when they're in bed, Ian falls asleep to the familiar melody of Mickeys secret favorite song.
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me loves all of you