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When his father passed away in prison, Mickey and his siblings sold the house since they couldn’t afford to keep it, nor did they have enough to keep paying the bills. His sister, Mandy had already moved away, and his brothers, Iggy and Colin were in and out of jail themselves so no one really cared what Mickey did with the house.
Before he sold it, he made sure to find a place that was affordable for him. What he found was a family that was renting out their basement a few blocks from his house, for way cheaper than any other apartment he found downtown. He went over to talk to the family about it and he found that he actually really liked them. They are six children fending for themselves; the eldest is about 25, and the youngest is five. One of the six is off at College, the parents aren’t around, so it’s just the five of them in that house.
Mickey moved all his stuff in (which wasn’t a lot of stuff, just his bedroom stuff and the TV from the house), and settled in.
It’s been about six months now since he’s moved in. He hangs out a lot with the youngest, Liam, when no one can watch him. Mickey works nights at a club in Boystown so during the day he’s home and the Gallagher’s can’t afford a babysitter. He really likes the younger girl, Debbie, who’s fifteen, she’s kind of a big pain in Mickey’s ass but she’s really smart and sweet when she’s not acting like a fifteen year old girl. Carl is a little Mickey so naturally they hang out a lot, well, ever since he got out of juvie, he’s been in there for the past couple of months. Fiona’s also really great, she acts like the mother he never really had, and he likes that. She always invites him up for family dinner. Lip is someone who Mickey doesn’t like. He’s a smug bastard. He thinks he’s better than everyone, including his siblings, because he’s in College and out of the south side. Little does he know, getting out of the south side doesn’t take the south side out of you, and he will never be better than his siblings, cause they’re all pretty great.
Especially Ian.
Mickey’s trying really hard not to have this fucking crush on the redhead but it’s really hard (pun intended) to not like him. He’s good looking, sweet, funny, smart, cute, and kind of a huge dork.
They don’t hang out that much since Ian’s taking classes during the day at the community college, and Mickey works nights and isn’t home till like three in the morning. Sometimes they cross paths in those early mornings when Mickey’s getting home from a late night and Ian’s going for an early morning run. It’s their little moment together when everyone else is asleep and the house is extremely quiet, even if it’s only for a few moments, it’s Mickey’s favourite time of the day.
It’s the beginning of December and Mickey learned at Thanksgiving that the Gallagher’s love the holiday’s. Well, they don’t really like Thanksgiving all that much. Don’t ask, don’t tell, Mickey learned that right away. However, they did still celebrate it. The minute December 1st hit, Christmas stuff started happening and that’s when Mickey really found out they love Christmas. They bought a tree and decorated it, they were asking what everyone wanted for Christmas and starting the shopping. Debbie says that they go big for Christmas, probably cause of what they won’t talk about that happened at Thanksgiving.
Mickey’s hanging out in his little ‘apartment’ in the basement on Wednesday night, in his black sweat pants and grey t-shirt. He’s got nothing to do, he can’t really hear anyone upstairs right now. Fiona did tell him that most of them would be out for the night so maybe no one is even home?
Mickey goes over to his little window and looks outside. It’s late now so it’s dark outside but Mickey can see the snow falling with the help of the street lamps. Just as he’s about to close his blinds and venture upstairs he sees something fall down to the ground and yell out before landing in the snow (good thing it snowed a lot in the past week).
Mickey looks closely and sees that it’s Ian. He grabs his coat and runs upstairs as he puts it on. He rushes to put his boots on before running outside.
“What the hell happened?!” Mickey says in a rush as he makes it to where Ian’s trying to sit up in the snow.
Ian looks up at Mickey and groans in pain. “I was trying to put the lights up when I slipped on some ice and fell off the roof,” He explains.
“You’re putting up Christmas lights now? Are you crazy?” Mickey says reaching down to try to help Ian up.
Ian winces at his words but Mickey takes it for him being in pain. He gets him up and Ian says, “Fiona asked me to do this the other day and I forgot. Figured I’d do it now before she got home so that she doesn’t give me shit for it.”
Mickey laughs. “You’re not a kid anymore, she won’t ground you for not doing your chore,” He says helping Ian into the house.
Ian laughs also, “Fuck off. You know what I mean.”
“That you’re scared of your sister?” Mickey teases.
“Yeah so what? So are you and she’s not even your sister,” Ian teases back.
Mickey flips him off and Ian laughs. They shed their coats and boots and Mickey helps Ian to the sofa. “You okay?” He asks when he sees Ian wince again as he sits.
“Yeah, back hurts obviously. I’ll be fine,” He tries to assure him.
“You guys have any pain killers up here? Actually I might have some, hold up,” Mickey says as he makes his way to the basement door.
“No no, it’s fine, man,” Ian says stopping him.
Mickey looks back at Ian and says, “You sure? I don’t mind getting them.”
“Yeah, I can’t take pain killers with my meds. I’ll be fine though, don’t worry,” He says.
“Okay,” Mickey says making his way over to where Ian’s sitting on the sofa. He sits down too. “You mind me asking what meds you’re talking about?”
“Ah, yeah, uh lithium for my Bipolar disorder,” Ian says.
“Bi-what?” Mickey asks confused.
Ian laughs. “Bipolar. It’s basically manic depression; I get high highs and low lows, but the meds help stabilize me. I can thank my mother for this.”
“Shit, sorry about before, I didn’t mean like you’re crazy,” Mickey groans at himself.
Ian chuckles, “It’s okay, Mickey, I know.”
Mickey nods and says, “She the one why you guys won’t mention what happened at Thanksgiving?” He then realizes he probably shouldn’t have, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
Ian smiles softly at him. “It’s okay. Yeah, she’s what happened at Thanksgiving. She slit her wrists in the kitchen one year. She was rushed to the emergency and everything but to say she’s good now wouldn’t be right. She’s not on meds and is living in some trailer with this huge asshole. The minute I saw that I came back home and let my sister take me to get my meds and actually started taking them. I’ll take the haze they give me over the shit life I would have not being on them,” He explains.
When Mickey doesn’t say anything Ian says, “Sorry, shit.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I was just- um…” Mickey trails off. He leans forward and presses his lips to Ian’s.
Ian’s shocked to say the least but he recovers quickly and starts to move his lips against Mickey’s. He brings a hand up to caress Mickey’s face and pull him in closer, the other hand going down to Mickey’s hip.
Mickey places his hands on Ian’s chest, feeling his muscles work as he runs them up to his shoulders and back down. He pushes Ian back a bit, breaking their kiss, but he leaves his hands on Ian’s chest for a beat before letting them fall to his own lap. “Sorry…” He says.
“I’m not,” Ian says with a small smile.
Mickey can’t help but laugh and grin at him. “Can I get you anything for your back since I can’t get you those pain killers?”
“Yeah, there’s this joint and muscle relaxing cream in the bathroom upstairs in the medicine cabinet over the sink,” Ian explains.
Mickey nods and heads up the stairs from the living room. He’s never been upstairs so he quickly looks around and sees that there’s three bedrooms and a bathroom. He goes into the bathroom to get the cream and spots it right away. He brings it back down to Ian and realizes he’s going to have to rub it on him.
Mickey stutters holding the cream out to Ian then back at himself. Ian laughs and says, “You mind rubbing some on me? I can’t really reach…”
Mickey sits back down and motions for Ian to turn around. Mickey moves Ian’s shirt up but it doesn’t stay. “I’m going to have to take this off you,” He says.
“Okay,” Ian says softly as Mickey pushes the shirt up to his shoulders before Ian takes it the rest of the way off.
Mickey squeezes some cream out into his palm and asks Ian, “Where do you need it?”
“Lower back,” Ian says.
Mickey puts his palm to Ian’s lower back right above his ass and rubs the cream in all over, massaging it in. Ian moans a little and Mickey’s trying not to moan at hearing Ian moan.
“A little higher too?” Ian says but it comes out as a question.
Mickey takes some more cream and massages it into Ian’s skin, higher than before. Ian says, “That feels better.”
Mickey massages his back a bit more before he stops and closes the bottle of cream. Ian turns to look at him and says, “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Mickey says trying to keep looking in Ian’s eyes but he’s sitting right in front of him with no shirt on and fuck, those abs, chest, shoulders, arms, it’s just too hard to not look at.
Mickey looks back up into Ian’s eyes and Ian’s biting his lip looking at him with lust filled eyes. They both move that inch closer and crash their lips together in a biting kiss. Ian moans into the kiss when Mickey parts his lips to let his tongue in. Mickey doesn’t hold himself back, he runs his hands through Ian’s red hair and down to his exposed chest and shoulders, moaning into his mouth, and biting his lip.
“Fuck, I wanted this ever since you moved in,” Ian admits into their kiss, his hands roaming down Mickey’s sides.
“Me too,” Mickey says back.
Ian smiles at him and goes back to kissing him. After a few moments Ian groans and pulls back. Mickey asks, “Shit, your back?”
“Yeah… fuck,” Ian says as he leans back into the sofa.
“It’s okay, just lay back. Oh, uh, do you want me to help you to your bed or do you wanna lay down here?” Mickey asks.
“Bed would be better, thanks,” Ian says.
Ian can make it up the stairs himself but it’s the getting down onto the bed that he’ll need some help, so they head upstairs together.
Mickey helps him lay down on his bed, Ian groaning the whole way down. When he’s laying down on top of the covers with his head on the pillow he sighs out. He’s just thanking God that he was already wearing sweatpants to go put the lights up because getting out of jeans right now would be impossible and sleeping in them is the worst.
“You okay?” Mickey asks him again.
“Yeah, thank you,” Ian says as he holds a hand out to him.
“What?” Mickey asks looking at his hand.
“Come here,” Ian says with a half smile that Mickey can’t resist. He does however roll his eyes at him but still getting on the bed next to him.
He pulls the blanket out from under them and pulls it over them, up to their chests, leaving Ian still a bit exposed so he can shamelessly look at him.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” Ian says looking sideways at Mickey.
Mickey turns on his side to look at Ian. He leans up on his elbow to look him in the eyes. “Anytime,” He says before placing a soft kiss to his lips.
Ian grins at him. He says, “I didn’t even know you were gay, or this sweet but I’m digging it.”
Mickey laughs. “I’m not fuckin’ sweet, and how’d you not know I’m gay? I told you I work at a club in Boystown,” He says.
“Didn’t wanna get my hopes up just in case you were actually straight,” Ian admits.
Mickey smiles at him. Ian then says, “How’d you not know that I like you?”
“You’re fuckin’ good at hiding it cause I had no idea,” Mickey says with a laugh.
“I tried, I tried,” Ian says, laughing also.
“Well, you don’t have to hide it anymore…” Mickey says licking his lips and biting on his bottom lip lightly.
Ian groans and brings his hand up to pull Mickey into a deep kiss. He runs his fingers through Mickey’s hair, pulling him even closer. Mickey’s chest is hovering over Ian’s as he kisses him back just as passionately.
Mickey pulls back slightly and lays back down next to Ian, who lifts his arm up. Mickey gets the hint and moves in closer, laying his head on Ian’s chest. “This not hurting you?” He asks him.
“Nope,” Ian says simply, rubbing his hand down Mickey’s side. “Though, I do want you to take this off, wanna feel your skin.”
Mickey sits up to take his shirt off and tosses it to the floor before getting back into his previous position. “Better?” He asks.
“Much,” Ian says as he goes back to rubbing his hand down his now exposed sides.
Mickey kisses Ian’s chest before snuggling into Ian.
That Christmas, Mickey didn’t spend it alone like he assumed he would. Instead, he spent it upstairs with his boyfriend and his family.