Work Text:
"How do you find out if a girl likes you?"
Mickey glanced over at the younger Gallagher. Carl was fiddling with his phone, eyes trained on the table. Mickey snorted. "You're asking the wrong person kid. Why don't you ask one of your brothers."
Carl rolled his eyes, "Lip's idea of a relationship is getting a hummer under a table, and I don't see Ian around here anywhere so..." He trailed off.
Mickey sighed, "I don't fucking know. You like her?" Carl nodded. "Compliment her, tell her she has nice hair or some shit."
"What if they're uh, not like most girls. I don't think complimenting them is going to get me anywhere."
Mickey narrowed his eyes slightly, Carl's use of gender neutral pronouns not lost on him. He didn't mention it. "Well then I don't fucking know. You're asking the wrong dude Gallagher."
He made to leave but was stopped by Carl calling him back, "Wait no, I'm asking the right person trust me." Mickey settled back on the couch, waiting for him to continue. "I mean uh, how did you get Ian?"
Mickey laughed, "Shit's fucking complicated kid. But I don't know, he just kind of... made me feel right?" Mickey rubbed a hand over his face, "Shit that was gay, don't tell him I said that."
"Will do." Carl shifted a little, "How'd you know you were gay?"
"What is this 20 fucking questions? I don't know, I just knew I wasn't into girls, especially when my first wet dream was about this dude fucking me."
"Oh." Carl said. They sat in silence for a few more seconds and Mickey took that as a cue the conversation was over. He made to leave, again, only half catching something Carl mumbled.
"What was that?" Mickey asked.
The kid looked up at him with wide eyes, "What was what?"
"What you just said, Gallagher. What was it?"
Carl looked back down at the table, "Said I must be fucked up."
"Elaborate."
"I uh, said i must be fucked up because I don't only think about girls y'know. I also think about guys." He said the last part in a rush, and a small blush was settling over his face. He refused to make eye contact with Mickey.
"Bisexual." Mickey said, "You're not fucked up. You're bisexual."
Carl looked up at Mickey, "Bisexual?" He repeated.
Mickey nodded, "You like chicks. You like dudes." The older boy shrugged, "Nothing unheard of, it's perfectly normal. Hell, that means more opportunities to get laid for you."
Carl shot Mickey a smile. "Cool."
"So that dating advice..." Mickey trailed off, watching as another small blush spread across his cheeks.
"Kinda about a dude. Well, definitely about a dude."
"You know he's gay?" Mickey asked, "'Cause if you don't you gotta be fucking careful okay."
"He's gay." Carl confirmed.
"Alright well, if you wanna find out if he likes you ask him."
“Ask him?” Carl repeated, incredulous. Mickey only raised his eyebrows.
The front door slammed open suddenly, a gust of cold wind being brought in with Ian, who was kicking snow off his boots in the foyer. He greeted the pair with a “Yo, Mick!” and simple head nod in Carl’s direction before thumping loudly up the stairs.
Mickey got up to follow the older Gallagher, stopping at the foot of the stairs to stare seriously at Carl. “Really kid, just ask him. And,” he started, “if he wants to start anything we can fuck him up real good, yeah?”
Carl listened for the telltale sign of his and Ian’s bedroom door being shut and locked before taking a deep breath and typing a message out on his phone.
To: Bryan
want to hang out 2morrow?