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Ian sighed as he finally made it outside of the restaurant and called for an Uber. He was a hundred percent beat. Between school and bar tending and waiting tables, it was a lot. Right before Ian and Mickey had gotten back together, Ian had started taking college classes. At first it was just to help him take his mind off of things, but after a while, he took it to heart and decided he would like to become a teacher-preferably an ROTC instructor. He'd landed a scholarship for writing an essay on what it was like to have a disability (the one good thing his stupid disorder had ever done for him) and he'd gotten to attend the University and dorm with Lip. After that, he'd started to take his meds regularly, get a job where men and drugs couldn't tempt him into a downward spiral again, and then he'd called Mickey out of the blue and attempted to become friends again and gradually rebuild their relationship, but Mickey was eager to pick up exactly where they'd left off.
Now, two years later, Ian was halfway done with school, working, and married-with a kid. As he waited on the Uber, he texted Mickey that he was on his way home. Mickey texted back that he'd gotten stuff to make ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner. Ian couldn't help but smile. When Mickey cooked, it was always pizza or sandwiches or some skillet meal that came frozen in a bag.
When he arrived home, he was greeted by Yevgeny, who must had been dropped off by Svetlana while he was at work. The two year old ran over to him and held up his arms to be held.
“Hold me,” he ordered.
Ian picked him up. Yev played with his black tie.
“Hey.” Mickey approached him, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “How was work?”
“Long,” Ian said. “What time did Yevvie get here?”
“ 'Bout an hour ago,” Mickey replied as Ian put the toddler down.
Mickey motioned for him to come back to the table to finish his sandwich. Yev sat down at the table and took a bite, doing a little side to side dance in his chair.
“How was school?” Mickey asked.
“Alright,” Ian replied. “I can't wait until next week when finals are over.”
He moved into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich, but his husband handed him an already-made one. Ian sat down in the chair beside Yev, scooting the toddler's chair closer to the table. Mickey ate his sandwich at the counter standing up. For several minutes, none of them said anything.
“Daddy, I'm done,” Yev said. “Now I can have fruit snacks?”
Mickey nodded and Yev trotted over to the pantry and opened the door, retrieving a pouch of dinosaur shaped fruit snacks from the box.
“Uh oh,” he said. “The box is empy.”
“Throw it away,” Mickey said absent-mindedly.
Yev did as he was told and climbed into Ian's lap, shoving the pouch in his face. Ian opened it for him.
“Thank you,” the toddler said, and Ian rested his chin on the mop of dark hair, still eating his sandwich.
For a while, Yev said nothing while Ian and Mickey talked about work and family and Christmas. Christmas was coming up soon and they didn't even have a tree yet.
“We'll do it this weekend,” Mickey said when Ian brought it up. “Don't worry about it.”
“Yev was too little to understand Christmas last year,” Ian said. “But it'll mean something to him this year.”
“Alright, Man,” Mickey replied, nodding. “Wake me up early on Saturday and we'll go get a goddamn tree.”
After Yev was bathed and tucked in tight, Ian and Mickey fell into the throws of passion almost immediately once they were in bed. As Ian started kissing Mickey from his chest on down, he stopped and said, “Oh, yeah! Yevvie's Christmas party is Friday. Patricia said parents are encouraged to come.”
“The fuck are we talking about that now for?” Mickey demanded, pushing Ian's head back down.
Ian raised his head again. “I don't have class and I don't go to work until six. Can you take off part of the day?”
“If it'll get you to shut up about it now and put your mouth to an actual use,” Mickey replied, and Ian grinned, going down on him immediately, surprising Mickey so fast that his head banged against the headboard.
After Mickey finished in his mouth, Ian sat up, reaching over Mickey for lube. As he slicked himself up he said, “I was thinking of bringing some sugar cookies. See if Yev wants to help decorate.”
Mickey put his hand over his eyes and groaned. “Ian. SHUT UP.”
“Those little two year olds are so cute,” Ian grinned, pushing into Mickey. “Every time I go in the class to pick Yevvie up-” he grunted and muttered, “Fuck...Mickey! Every time I go in to pick him up, they run over to me and show me toys and pictures and stuff.”
“Could we not talk about two year olds while we're fucking? PLEASE!” Mickey all but snarled.
“What? You want me to talk dirty to you? Huh?” Ian leaned down, nipping at him and then drew out, “Mmmmiiicccckkkkkeyyyyy.”
That always drove his husband wild. When they both finally went over the edge and Ian pulled out, he fell down on the pillows beside him and said, “Should I buy something for Yev's teacher? Does that apply in daycare? Or just elementary school?”
Mickey stared at him. Ian couldn't help but laugh.
“You're a fucking brat,” Mickey told him.
“I know,” Ian said, kissing him. “I did it to annoy you.”
Thursday night, Mickey, Ian and Yevgeny bundled up and walked to the Kash and Grab to get something to bring to the party.
“Hey, Man,” Mickey said, taking out a pack of cigarettes. “Take Little Man in and I'll be right behind ya.”
Ian nodded and holding Yev by the hand, walked into the store. Yev loved going to the Kash and Grab because he always got to pick out a treat for the walk home. He was already eyeing the candy.
“Okay, Yev,” Ian said. “Want cupcakes or cookies?”
“M&Ms,” Yev said, grabbing a bag.
“No, for your party,” Ian explained. “Ooh, these look good. Look, they have reindeer faces on them.”
“Ian?”
Ian looked up from the package of cupcakes he was holding and he felt his heart drop in his chest. It was Kash.
“Ian, I want M&Ms,” Yev said, putting them in Ian's pocket. “Buy those.”
Kash smiled warmly at Yev.
“One of the little Gallaghers?” He guessed, having never met any of Ian's siblings but aware there was slew of them.
Ian scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Does Linda know you're here?” He asked.
“Linda doesn't run the store anymore,” Kash said. “My cousin does. I'm here to drop off payroll.”
“Oh.” Was all Ian could muster.
Even though it had only been four years, Ian felt much older now, and wiser, and he suddenly wondered what he'd ever seen in Kash-a grown man seducing a fifteen year old boy.
“Drinks are stocked, Mr. Karib,” A teenage boy said, approaching him. He looked young, almost as young as Ian had been when he'd illegally been hired underage. He pushed his glasses up to his nose and gave Ian a confused smile.
“Thanks, Diego,” Kash said and handed him an envelope. “Your check.”
Diego smiled and tucked the envelope into his pocket. Ian watched as Kash's hand brushed over the small of the boy's back and he said, “Talk to me before you leave...it's about inventory...”
The teenager walked away and Kash smiled at Ian again with a sigh.
“You look great,” he said.
“You fucking him?” Ian asked, staring at Diego was putting in earbuds as he prepared to stock dairy.
“Not yet, no,” Kash said, also looking at him. “But I think he's gay. We'll see.”
He looked around then took a step closer, brushing fingers along Ian's arm.
“Job's always here for you too,” he said. “Assistant manager even.”
“I have a job, thanks,” Ian replied, taking a step back. He motioned for Yev to come to him, but Yev ignored him as he held a bag of Sour Patch Kids.
“I think about you,” Kash said in a low voice. “I think about the time we had together. I would've taken care of you, Ian. I still can.”
He suddenly grabbed Ian's ass through his jeans and said huskily, “I was all you had, remember? You told me that.”
“Get your fucking hands off him!” Mickey yelled, shoving Kash-hard.
Diego spun around, taking his earbuds out. Yevgeny looked shocked.
“Mickey?” Kash asked, sounding frightened. He then looked disgusted and turned to Ian. “No.”
“Yes.” Mickey shoved him again. “And I saw you through the window. You're just as gross now as you were then, you fuckin' pedophile!”
“I can't believe you're still dating him!” Kash told Ian.
Mickey showed him his ring and Ian held up his own left hand.
“We're married, Bitch,” Mickey said. He looked at Diego and called, “Hey, Paco! This pervert tries anything you ask around for Mickey Milkovich. Got it?”
“Uh...got it,” Diego said awkwardly. At that moment, a teenage girl walked in and Diego began whispering to her. She made a face.
Yevgeny suddenly started to cry and Ian and Mickey both turned to see the front of his jeans were wet and there was a puddle underneath him.
“Hey, it's okay,” Ian said, moving to pick him up-soiled or not.
“Come on, Ian,” Mickey said, staring at Kash. “We'll find another store.”
They walked outside and Ian passed Yevgeny to Mickey, who hugged him tightly and murmured into his dark hair, “I'm sorry, Yevvie.”
“I peed myself,” Yev said.
“ 'S okay.” Mickey kissed him. “That's okay.”
The three of them went straight home instead and Mickey took Yev into the bathroom to strip him of his soiled clothes. Ian leaned against the open door frame, his arms crossed.
“If you think I was flirting with him or anything...” he said, trailing off.
“What?” Mickey looked at him, genuinely confused. “No, Ian...no.”
“You got super pissed,” Ian pointed out.
“I got pissed because I saw him touch you,” Mickey said. “For fuck's sake, Ian, you were a child when that asshole manipulated and molested you. Don't victims of that kinda thing always have an uneasy time around their abusers or something?”
“Wait.” Ian moved to sit on the edge of the tub. “You thought I was scared of him?”
Mickey looked at him and then looked away. Ian shook his head.
“Jesus, Mickey, really?” He asked.
“So why'd you stand there and let him talk to you?” Mickey retorted.
“I was worried about the kid who he thought he could turn into me,” Ian said. “That's how it started with me.”
He rubbed at his eyes, tired.
“We scared Yev.”
Mickey looked at his son, who stared back at him with big, solemn blue eyes. He rubbed the toddler's hair affectionately.
After they were all already in bed, Mickey suddenly asked, “Do you want to know what set me off?”
Ian looked away from his phone.
“When he said 'I was all you had',” Mickey said in a gentle voice that was rare for him. “Was shit so bad back then that you believed that?”
Ian put his phone down on the comforter and finally nodded.
“Kash had a way of making my life seem shittier than it really was,” he explained. “And him buying me stuff and praising me all the time...it got to me.”
Mickey rubbed his eyes tiredly. Ian stared at him, knowing that he wanted to say something else.
“Do you think something like that could happen to Yevgeny?” He finally asked in a surprisingly small voice.
Ian didn't even have to ask what he meant. He shifted so he was snuggled up against his husband's side, and he kissed the corner of his eye and then his mouth, stroking his thumb over his cheek.
“I made those shit decisions because I craved a father figure in my life,” he said. “I was a horny teenager and sex was an added bonus, but mostly I just wanted there to be a man that praised me and took care of me and made me feel good about myself.”
It tore Mickey's heart to hear Ian finally answer the question that floated between them those first couple of years. He was no stranger to shitty fathers. Ian brushed his thumb over Mickey' bottom lip.
“Yevgeny has parents that love him,” he said, giving a half smile. “He'll never need to go out and bone some dude-or woman-to get that attention needs.”
Mickey smiled a little too, shifting so he could cuddle better with Ian.
“Yeah, 'Lana's great too, Man. Bitch means business when it comes to Yevvie.”
“I actually get kind of jealous how we have to tell him something eight hundred times and she doesn't even have to raise her voice to get him to behave,” Ian said, the mood between them becoming light again.
Only a handful of parents showed up for the Christmas party. Poor Patricia was fluttering all over the class room like a humming bird trying to put construction paper and glitter headbands on all of the kids. Some had reindeer antlers on them and others had Santa hats. Most of them were already coming undone because the toddlers were being so rough with them. Yevgeny had antlers and thankfully they were still in tact. Patricia had also painted his nose black.
“Daddy! Ian!” He said excitedly, hopping around on the group rug with the other children. One of the other boys came and clobbered him and Yev rolled him over socked him in the face.
“Whoa, Yevvie!” Ian said, and Mickey winced.
“Ow!” The other boy said, laughing. “I'm Spiderman!”
“Okay, and I'm Batman,” Yev said.
“Yevvie, Lucas, break it up,” Patricia said. She smiled at Ian and Mickey, shaking her head.
“Alright, friends!” She told the kids, clapping her hands together. “Let's find our seat on the rug. We're going to show our mommies and daddies what we've been practicing so hard on all week.”
The director came in with her cell phone, set to record whatever was going to happen. Patricia walked over to a nearby CD player and as a song started to play, she passed out little bells to each of the children. Yevgeny fidgeted-trying hard to not to rattle it ahead of time.
“Ready, one, two, three, GO!” The teacher said, and the toddlers began jumping up and down shaking the bells.
“Five little reindeer prancing in the snow!” They yelled instead of sang. “Waiting for Santa to say, 'Let' go!”
One little girl dropped her bell and went over to her mother, holding her arms to be picked up. A couple of the parents chuckled and turned their attention back to the rug. Yevgeny was all into it-jumping and shaking his bell like he could break a dimension if he shook hard enough.
“Okay,” Patricia said. “The boys!”
“The first little reindeer said, 'Let' be on our way!” The boys (and some of the girls) chanted. “The second reindeer said...”
They trailed off, not able to remember the rest and just kept ringing the bells. Patricia groaned good-naturedly, but clapped for them and turned off the music. She gestured for the parents to applaud too-which they did.
“Did you like it when I shook the bell?” Yevgeny asked, scrambling over to his parents.
Mickey nodded, fixing his headband. “Best performance I've ever seen in my life, Kid.”
Ian began helping some of the mothers and Patricia prepare plates of food for the little ones, and Mickey gravitated over to the 'dad' cluster where three men were checking their phones or holding their kids so they'd appear busy.
“That one's mine,” One of them told Mickey, trying to hide the smile in his voice. “Abigail. She's a live-wire.”
Mickey looked at Abigail, who was ringing her bell and shaking her butt. Her father laughed a little at that and then asked, “Which one's yours?”
“Yevgeny,” Mickey said, pointing to his son, who was not acting any less hyper. Yevgeny was rough-housing with three other boys on the carpet.
“Yevgeny...” Abigail's dad repeated. “That's uh...”
“Russian,” Mickey said. “His mother.”
Meanwhile, Ian was on fire preparing and serving. It helped to come from a large family and be a waiter. Two of the younger mothers exchanged glances, grinning at him.
“You're Yevvie's dad,” One of them said. “I see you sometimes when I pick up Andy.”
“Yeah,” Ian said casually, balancing Styrofoam plate and carrying them to the little tables that had been pushed together to make one big table. “Stepdad, actually, but I've known him since he was born so he's my baby.”
“Aww,” she replied. “That's so nice.”
A little more boldly she added, “I never see his mom. Does she ever drop him off or...”
Ian hardly seemed to be listening. “Huh? Oh, no, split custody. When he's with her he doesn't go to daycare.”
The woman's eyes lit up. “Oh? So are you two divorced?”
Patricia mouthed 'thank you' to Ian as he helped her bring the little ones to their chairs. The hot-for-Ian mom stood close to him.
“I'm divorced,” she said. “It's rough.”
“I'm married,” Ian said with a half shrug.
He turned his attention to Patricia, who was helping the kids with their lunch. He walked away from the mom all together and crouched down next to Yev, opening his mouth. Yev giggled and popped a carrot stick into it. The woman, flustered for having been so casually brushed off, caught Mickey giving her a strange look. He was good-looking too. She approached him.
“Kids, huh?” She laughed. “Andy's mine-that messy thing right there. Yours?”
“Yevgeny,” Mickey said, not skipping a beat.
“But wait,” she said, looking at Ian, who was wiping not from Yev's nose with a Kleenex. “Isn't that hi dad?”
“Stepdad,” Mickey said. He moved down to squat next to Ian and Yev kicked his feet happily. Andy's mom didn't miss how Mickey's hand brushed the small of Ian's back-his wedding ring identical to Ian's.
“Okay,” Mickey said as he and Ian sat up in bed, Yevgeny jumping around at their feet. “You gonna show us that damn song now you were supposed to do when we brought cupcakes and picked your little ass up early?”
Yev nodded and chanted, “Five little reindeer prancing in the snow. The first one said... POOP!”
He busted out laughing and Ian and Mickey couldn't help but smile.
“You're a mess,” Ian said, shaking his head. “Do you need to go potty?”
“Nuh uh!” Yev replied. “I just did go potty, Ian. I peed in the potty.”
“High five!” Ian said, and Yev gave his hand a good slap.
“Time for bed then,” Mickey told him. “Get your little butt up.”
Yevgeny followed Mickey to his bedroom and Mickey motioned for him to get in bed. The toddler did so and said, “Daddy, cover me.”
Mickey covered him up. He gave him a kiss and said, “Close your eyes, go to sleep, all that good stuff.”
“I'm going to school tomorrow?” Yev asked, yawning.
“Nah, man, it's Saturday,” Mickey said. “We're going to get a Christmas tree. Your Uncle Iggy found us a place where we can get 'em for free as long as no one catches us cutting it down.”
“A Christmas tree?” Yev smiled sleepily. “Ian's going too?”
“He'd better,” Mickey scoffed slightly. “Gonna need those long-ass legs of his. Yours too.”
He patted Yev's stomach through the covers. “Night, Son. Love you.”
“ Love you, Daddy,” Yev said with another yawn and then called out, “Love you, Ian!”
“Love you!” Ian called back.