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Coming from the Southside, Ian Gallagher wasn’t afraid of much. But for some reason, watching this man with the knuckle tattoos and harsh scowl climb aboard the bus, he found his chest filling with dread at the idea that he might sit next to him. Ian knew he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but he still was terrified when he realised the seat next to him was the only empty one left.
It was peak hour with everyone coming in from their jobs in the city and everyone was exhausted. Anyone who got on the bus was immediately praying there was an empty seat for them to park their tired ass in. This guy looked exhausted as he stumbled up the aisle and flopped himself down in the seat next to Ian.
Ian felt his panic drain when the dude just ignored him, facing the front with a frown. Feeling a bit awkward, Ian got out his phone and started playing Tetris to pass the time. Whenever anyone sat near him and he didn’t occupy himself with something else, he felt the uncontrollable urge to just start yammering on about the first thing that came to his head to fill the silence. This dude obviously would not be appreciative of Ian’s talking.
So Ian kept his eyes firmly on his phone, carefully and pointedly placing each shape into the right space. He was so focused on the game that he almost jumped when something touch his shoulder. He immediately turned his head to see the guy — you know, the one with the scary knuckle tattoos and permanent glare on his face — sleeping soundly on his shoulder. He took a moment to stare in awe at how content and innocent the man looked as he slept.
He looked so innocent, in fact, that Ian wasn’t sure he wanted to wake him up, lest the grumpy man return. Swallowing, he eyed his stop as it approached and felt panic rise within him as they came closer and closer. Knowing he needed to make a decision, he turned back to the man and gazed at him — the freckles across the bridge of his nose, his soft skin, and his slightly parted full lips — and decided he would not be able to get off at his stop today.
Letting out a sigh at his own idiocy and romanticism, he watched as his stop blew past and let the man continue to sleep on his shoulder. He kind of hoped the man would wake before his own stop turned up.
Mickey was really comfortable. Like, really comfortable. At least, his cheek was. His ass kinda hurt, though, and not in the good way. Sniffing a little, he shuffled around trying to get more comfortable before he realised he was not in his bed. His bed didn’t smell this good. Plus, he’d had insomnia for the past few nights and he hasn’t felt this refreshed when he woke up in a long time. Blinking his eyes open, he looked down at what he had been lying on, feeling a wave of embarrassment spread over him as his own blue eyes lifted to meet a green pair.
He jumped slightly away, looking around to see the bus relatively full. ‘What the fuck? Where are we? Why did you let me fall asleep, man?’
‘We’re just going past Underdew street,’ the redhead responded. ‘I’m sorry, you just looked so tired when you got on, and then you fell asleep on my shoulder, and so I thought, why not? You know? I know it’s probably really weird, but I just—’
‘Shut the fuck up for a minute,’ Mickey interrupted, raising his hand. ‘Where do you live?’
The redhead blushed, scratching at the back of his neck sheepishly. ‘We passed my stop, like…fifteen minutes ago?’
Glancing out the window, Mickey recognised that they were approaching his stop. Sighing, he pressed the button and turned to the redhead. ‘What’s your name?’
‘I-Ian…Gallagher,’ Ian answered, looking flustered as the bus pulled to a stop.
‘Alright, Ian, looks like you’re staying at my place.’ With that, he stood and started off down the aisle. At the last step out the bus, he looked back to see Ian still sitting in his seat, dumbstruck. ‘You comin’ or not, Gallagher?’
Ian quickly scrambled out of his seat and raced down the aisle, following Mickey off the bus and onto the street. They both pulled up their hoodies as it began to rain and Mickey led the way to his apartment. Ian seemed really nervous as they began walking that Mickey just had to say something.
‘You alright there, Gallagher? I’m not gonna attack you or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
Ian shook his head. ‘No, no, not worried about that. Just…you didn’t have to do this.’
Mickey shrugged as he opened the apartment building’s door. ‘You let me take a nap on your shoulder; I may as well give you a place to crash. If it makes you feel any better, you can pay for the Chinese we’re definitely getting.’
Ian paused midway through the door, turning around to face Mickey. ‘You mean…like a date?’
Unable to help the roll of his eyes at this romantic, wide-eyed motherfucker, he sighed. ‘Sure, like a date.’
Ian beamed before turning around and heading up the stairs. After a few steps, he stopped short again and spun around, almost knocking Mickey over and sending him down the stairs. ‘Wait, what’s your name?’
Mickey arched his eyebrows teasingly. ‘Why do you gotta know that?’
Ian shrugged, an innocent look plastered on his face before turning and heading up the stairs again. ‘Gotta have something to scream out later.’
Mickey only snorted, following him up and thinking that maybe him falling asleep on the bus on some dork’s shoulder was really a happy accident.