Work Text:
This is actually a continuation of another prompt, but it can be read alone:
The Rugrat and the Fuckin' Ball and Chain
Mickey knew he couldn’t be mad. He shouldn’t be. His boyfriend and his son getting along was not a bad thing. It was a great thing. Most people hoped for this kind of good outcome from this type of situation.
Whatever. Fuck what he was supposed to feel, it was still fuckin’ annoying.
It had been two years since Ian had found out about Yevgeny and Svetlana, and a year and a half since Ian and Yev properly met. Ian had demanded to finally meet Mickey’s whole family, which Mickey was cool with, and they had come down to stay with them in NYC for a while.
At first, Yev had been a little shy and nervous, which was understandable since he was a five-year-old meeting his dad’s boyfriend, who he’d never heard anything about beforehand. Svetlana had been very protective, and never really let Ian and Yev be alone, which also made sense, even if it drove Mickey a little mad. However, within a week, Ian had won them both over the way he did with most people.
He took Yev and Svetlana to all the popular landmarks, and had even dragged Mickey along when they went to the zoo. It had been a good day, Mickey could admit — they had laughed, eaten ice-cream, saw the tigers (that Yev insisted looked like Ian), and Yev had gotten to take home a huge stuffed tiger, courtesy of Ian and his desperate need to bond with Mickey’s son. And it had worked so well that when they set off to leave after a month’s stay, Ian and Yevgeny had both gotten teary — more-so Yev than Ian, but still, Mickey had to promise them both that him and Svet could come back in a few months. Svetlana had just rolled her eyes.
It had all been great…until Yev and Ian started getting along so well, they were playing pranks on Mickey and laughing about him and pretty much just leaving Mickey out. Not that he was some petty ass fucking child who was upset about it, but…well…he was upset about it. Usually it was fine because Yev would stay for a month and then go back home, but this time, being seven, Svetlana had allowed him to stay for the entire summer and Mickey could only take so many jump-scare pranks before he snapped.
And, boy, had he snapped.
It hadn’t even been at a more reasonable time. He didn’t snap when they put salt in the sugar shaker, he didn’t when everywhere he sat had a whoopee cushion on it for the whole day, and he didn’t even snap at the glad wrap on the toilet seat.
No, he snapped when he walked into the shower and saw a huge fucking spider on the shower floor. He had shrieked, almost slipping and falling on his ass. Ian and Yev had cracked up from the hallway, pointing and laughing when Mickey emerged from the bathroom. As he clenched his jaw, he felt his temper rising and rising until it snapped.
‘Can you fuckin’ stop with this shit?!’ he yelled, unable to control his tone. ‘It’s not fuckin’ funny anymore, and I’ve had enough, do you both hear me?’
They both stared at him with wide eyes, before Yev finally broke and teared up, running off to his room. Mickey felt a pang of guilt and was about to follow through with apologising, when Ian spoke.
‘Fuck’s sake, Mickey,’ he sighed. ‘It was a fucking joke and you had to go off at Yev like that? You probably fucking scared him!’
Mickey honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing right now, and he felt even more guilt rush through him at the thought of scaring Yev like that. It was the last thing he had wanted to do, but the guilt hurt so much, the only thing he could think to do was lash out more. ‘Fuck you, man, maybe if you acted like a fucking grown up, I wouldn’t have gone off like that! I could’ve cracked my fucking head open! You’re right, I shouldn’t be yelling at Yev; I should be yelling at you!’
Ian blinked. ‘It was just a prank!’
‘Well, maybe I’m sick of being the butt of every fucking joke, ever thought of that, Ian?!’ Before Ian could respond, Mickey just turned back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.
Ian sighed as the door slammed shut, shoulders slumping. Maybe he had gone too far. He guessed that maybe the pranks had been a bit overboard lately, but it was the only thing that made Yev look at Ian like he was the greatest person on earth…and he was a little addicted to that. He loved that kid so much, and he just wanted to bond with him enough to make sure he knew he was family.
Deciding Mickey needed some alone time, he wrote Mickey a note saying that he was taking Yev to Lip’s and went to get Yev. The boy was slumped in his bed, crying into his pillow. Ian came over and gently shook Yev’s shoulder, and Yev immediately turned over and buried his head into Ian’s chest.
‘Dad’s so mean!’ Yev sniffed. ‘I wish you were my dad, Ian. You’re so nice and fun, not like Dad. He’s just grumpy all the time.’
Ian sighed, now probably seeing what Mickey meant. Sure, kids say this shit all the time, hating whoever was being grumpiest at the time, but he had kind of been hogging Yev’s attention and they had made fun of Mickey a little too much. It probably felt like ganging up, no matter how old Mickey was.
‘He’s not mean, Yev; he’s just a little upset at all of our pranks. I mean, he shouldn’t have yelled like that, but if your Dad and I were pranking you all the time, wouldn’t you get a little upset?’
Yev sniffed again, stubborn as he said, ‘No!’
Ian sighed, rubbing Yev’s back. ‘C’mon, kid. We’re going over to Uncle Lip’s for a while, that okay with you? Give Dad some space?’
Yev nodded and Ian led him out of his room, putting on his jacket and heading off to Lip’s for a while.
When Mickey finally emerged from the bathroom, he was a little embarrassed about his outburst. Sure, the pranks were fucking annoying, but they were only pranks. His boyfriend and his kid got along, he should be ecstatic. Maybe if he wanted to be more involved, he should get more involved. It wasn’t like he volunteered to spend alone time with his son.
He came out to see Yev and Ian gone, and a note on the kitchen table. He sighed, flopping back onto the couch and waiting for them to come home. He didn’t know when they left, but he had been in the bathroom for an hour or so.
They returned half an hour later and Mickey immediately looked up at Ian with a sheepishly apologetic look. Ian had just smiled slightly in return, looking kind of embarrassed too. Yev rushed over to Mickey, climbing in his lap and hugging him. Mickey was taken aback, looking down at his son in confusion before hugging him back.
‘I’m sorry about all the pranks, Dad. We didn’t mean to make you feel left out,’ Yev apologised.
Mickey’s heart warmed at how kind this kid was when it came down to it. Sure, he could be a little shit and have a thousand tantrums, but at the heart of it all, he was a caring person…and as much as Mickey hated to admit it, some of that came down to Ian.
‘I’m sorry too, kid. I shouldn’t have yelled like that. Next time I’m upset, I’ll just say something nicely. How about that?’
Yev grinned, showing off a few missing teeth. ‘Sounds good, Dad! I’m gonna go play in my room now.’
Mickey laughed. ‘Okay. Want pizza for dinner?’
‘Yes!’ Yev cried out in excitement before running off to his room.
After an awkward moment, Ian came and sat beside Mickey on the couch. He took ahold of his hand, staring down at their hands as he rubbed his thumb along Mickey’s hand. ‘Sorry about that last prank. You're right, it was kind of careless.'
‘Sorry I went off at you,’ Mickey said, before sighing. ‘Look, I just…I want to be in Yev’s life…properly, you know? I’m just having a hard time doin’ it, but you manage to handle it so easily. He loves you so much.’
Ian smiled at that, before saying, ‘Hey, I’m handling it differently because we’re in different situations regarding Yev. Doesn’t mean my way is better than yours, and he loves you too. He only is more loud about it with me because I’m normally the one spoiling him and he’s a suck-up.’
Mickey chuckled. ‘Got that right.’
Ian pressed a kiss to Mickey’s lips. ‘I think we’re both doing pretty good, despite everything. Don’t worry about it so much.’
‘No more pranks?’ Mickey asked, eyes narrowed.
Ian laughed. ‘No more pranks…except maybe on April Fool’s.’
Mickey sighed. ‘Guess I can handle that. You watch out, though, Gallagher, Yev and I are going to prank you on April Fool’s like you’ve never been pranked before.’
Ian grinned, snuggling in closer to him and listening to Yev’s giggles in the other room. ‘Can’t wait.’