Archive of Our Own ^beta

All Christmas season Ian’s asked Mickey what he wants for Christmas. This was the first time they were having what one might consider a “real” Christmas. For the first three years of their relationship, Mickey was in the closet and so their Christmas gifts were usually each other, and maybe exchanging a CD or movie they wanted the other to try. After that, Ian was gone to the army and the year after that Mickey was in prison…. And, well, the rest you know.

So Ian was determined to make this Christmas a ‘real’ and perfect Christmas.

But even a person determined to do good can be tempted to do something totally dastardly when left to their own devices.

Ian had begged Mickey to give him anything he wanted or needed as a gift. New sex toy, a sweater, fuckin socks! Anything!

But the asshole wouldn’t give him even a hint of something that he wanted. He’d just say ‘Nothin’ or ‘Surprise me.’

Well… Surprise, bitch.

Every time Ian went out looking for something for Mickey, he’d get struck with some inspiration as he grew more and more frustrated. It started small but grew in complexity, expense, and ridiculousness.

It was going to be so worth it.

Every time he returned from the store, conspiratorial grin plastered on his face, one of the Gallaghers, who were all in on the (well, Ian’s) fun, would hiss in worry and remind him that Mickey was going to kill him.

Ian always “psssh”ed at them, getting more and more annoyed at how little they clearly knew Mickey to actually believe that Mickey would cause any sort of bodily harm to Ian — well, unless the whole time the Gallaghers were hinting at blue balls, because that was a legitimate threat Mickey would totally make good on.

Liam had walked in on Ian wrapping the first Mickey gift in their room. Ian collapsed over the trinket in mid-wrap until he saw it was only his baby brother.

“Jesus, Liam, knock why don't— Though… I guess Mickey’d barge right in too,” Ian grumbled, snipping at the wrapping paper until he had the proper amount.

“Seeing as it’s his room… yeah.” Ian glared at Liam with humor and Liam smiled too.

“So, that’s one of Mickey’s gifts?” Liam asked dubiously. Ian beamed down at his work, so wide that Liam could certainly see the grin.

“Sure is!”

“You…. think he’ll like it?”

“Oh, no doubt!” Ian looked up at Liam in alarm. “Why, you think he’ll hate it?” Liam arched a brow, a habit he’d been picking up from the very man of whom they were speaking.

“Uhm, yeah!”

Ian let his concerned face slip away in favor of another devious grin.

“Good! Serves the prick right for not telling me what he wants.”

“A Mickey Mouse watch?!” 

“Cute, eh?” Ian laughed. Liam’s eyes were wide as saucers as he walked away, hands up in surrender — a gesture that screamed ‘I have no part in this and I’ll not be associated with the consequences.’ Ian laughed to himself and finished wrapping up the small tin casing of the Disney memorabilia. 

….

Fiona flew in from her new homestead the morning of Christmas Eve. This was the first time the Gallagher matriarch was returning home and with it also being a major holiday no one wanted to tempt fate by having her plan to stay a long period of time only for the world to implode. They decided to start small, preferring for her to decide to come back to visit again soon than have such a shitty visit that they all decided never again.

Despite her apparent concerns about Mickey being in Ian’s life since they were kids, she welcomed Mickey warmly, asking when he got out with an easy conversation flowing between them immediately following that. Ian had to fight an audible exhale in relief at the easy exchange between his partner and sister. 

Christmas Eve was the day they had their big dinner: a ham provided by Lip and Ian, sides provided by Debbie, Liam, and Carl, and lots of booze provided by Kev and V. Fiona made herself right at home in the kitchen preparing the meal with, to everyone’s surprise, Mickey’s assistance. Ian, of course, followed suit and helped out as well.

When Mickey stepped outside for some air and a smoke after dinner, Liam asked Ian about the presents he’d purchased for Mickey.

“Are you sure you want to mess up Christmas with making Mickey mad at you?” Liam asked. Fiona’s brows furrowed.

“Why would Mickey get mad at him?” she blurted as she scooped the leftover mashed potatoes in  a tupperware bowl.

“Ian got Mickey a bunch of Mickey Mouse stuff.”

“ Ian!” Fiona laughed incredulously. Mickey shrugged and stood up from the dining room table to grab another beer.

“He wouldn’t tell me what he wanted, said nothing or to surprise him, so… Surprise!”

“Your divorce!” Fiona chuckled just as Mickey walked back inside. His brows furrowed.

“Who’s divorcin?” Mickey’s tone was thankfully more confused than concerned, but Ian still felt the need to reassure him.

“No one. They don’t believe in our love!” Ian lied smoothly, his tone taking on a mocking quality as he raced to Mickey’s side to evelop him in an exaggerated embrace. Mickey’s face made the drama especially worth the slight embarrassment, his pink cheeks and bewildered set of his eyebrows setting the whole kitchen into a fit of laughter.

“Ookay, you fuckers gotta cut back on the coke,” Mickey sniped, easily brushing Ian off of him so he could hang up his jacket.

The Gallaghers laughed and allowed him the rest of December 24th in  peace.

On December 25th, however, all bets were off — for Ian at least.

…..

Even though the Gallaghers were significantly better off now than ever before, they still maintained their Secret Santa tradition. It was cheaper and it also allowed everyone to focus on the meaning behind each gift and the person they selected, but above all— tradition is tradition.

For significant others and children, though, the Gallaghers treated them as they saw fit.

For Franny and now Fred they all maintained the Santa fantasy — that Santa had brought the three year old and newborn some big gift for each of them, but the rest were from their respective parents. Mickey had six gifts waiting plus the one from Secret Santa and he glared at  Ian in irritation.

“Asshole, I told you not to get me anything!”

“You also told me to surprise you, so… Surprise!” He kissed Mickey lightly, knowing there was no way in Hell he was getting another one until well after gift exchange.

They went around the circle trying to guess who was their Secret Santa and once everyone had appropriately thanked their Secret Santa, they broke into their mini-families — Lip, Tami, and Fred, Ian and Mickey, and Debbie and Franny — and started their own Christmas.

Ian handed Mickey the first gift, what he had believed would be the gift since Mickey was the absolute least helpful loved one to shop for, and watched Mickey unwrap as he opened his own gift from Mickey.

Of course, Mickey gave him exactly what he wanted, a new leather bound journal and as soon as Mickey laid eyes on the Disney themed tin box, his whole face set into an irritated expression.

“Ian?”

“Don’t stop! You don’t know what it is!” Ian cheered, beaming brightly. It was only now that he realized Tami, Lip, Debbie, and Liam were all watching with great curiosity.

Mickey’s eyes narrowed, but he opened the tin to reveal a classic Mickey Mouse watch with brown leather straps and Mickey’s arms for the watch hands and everything. Ian beamed in delight.

“You’re hilarious, man, seriously.”

“And you better wear it!” Ian demanded playfully. Out of the corner of his eye, Ian could see Fiona wincing next to Debbie whose eyes were wide.

Incredible. Living with Mickey for six months and these people still didn't understand the 'thug.'

Mickey rolled his eyes and, to everyone’s surprise, slipped the watch right on his left wrist, brow arched at the little painted mouse in question before lifting his gaze to a shocked Ian. Wow…

With the Mickey Mouse mug, Mickey Mouse waffle iron, and Mickey Mouse Christmas tree ornament,  Mickey quickly caught on to the theme.

“Ian, the fuck?!” Mickey held up the final and very offensive gift — a sweater of Santa Mickey Mouse with festive Mickey-themed winter quilt patterns on the sleeves. Ian’s grin was disgustingly bright by this point seeing Mickey grow progressively more and more irritated. Fiona had long-since watched their exchanges. Mickey had given Ian a couple of simple gifts in addition to the journal: new shoes and an updated medical dictionary to replace the one Ian still used from 2005. So with each gift Ian passed Mickey's way with his attention solely on his husband, the Gallaghers too kept a wary and subtle gaze on them.

“You said to surprise you! This is what happens when you don’t tell me what you want for Christmas!” Mickey grunted in irritation, folded the sweater, and stood from his position sitting on the coffee table.

“Put it on, Uncle Mickey! Put it on!” Franny cried from her position on the floor surrounded by the debris of her formerly wrapped toys. He kept walking, not even turning to acknowledge his new niece.

"See? You pissed him off," Fiona whispered after Mickey was safely out of earshot in the kitchen. Ian smirked.

"He'll be fine," he remarked, leaning forward to retrieve the final gift.

Ian followed Mickey into the kitchen to find Mickey pouring himself his second cup of coffee of the morning.

"You like your gifts?" Ian asked, acting blissfully unaware.

"They're great," Mickey snipped. Ian's smirk deepened into a silly grin.

"Hey, you'll get good use out of them! 'Specially that waffle iron!" Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks. Next time I'll just tell you an industrial supply of lube to get you off my ass..." He stopped and considered that phrasing and Ian almost dove into the joke Mickey had easily opened up for him, that Mickey was clearly expecting Ian to take advantage of.

But he knew how much Mickey hated for people to mock his name and knew that Mickey was at the end of his rope for tolerating it.

"Here," he murmured warmly, passing Mickey his final gift. Mickey's eyes narrowed and he slouched against the counter expectantly. "It's a real one this time," he promised.

Mickey accepted the relatively small package, about the length of Mickey's forearm, and in a flash unwrapped it...

Their first official wedding photo. Mickey looked up in surprise and Ian's warm smile softened even more into one consumed by love for his partner.

"The whole package finally came in two weeks ago, but I had already got all of that other shit so... yanno, thought I'd have some fun with it." He couldn't contain the chuckle buried in his chest. Mickey stepped into Ian's space, the new silver-plated picture frame tapped against his chest, the men's feet toe-to-toe.

They couldn’t see the family lurking at the archway between the living room and kitchen. They couldn’t see the warm, watery smiles on Fiona’s and even Tami’s faces. They didn’t see how Lip finally looked at them in a way other than confusion or judgement. 

Ian took Mickey’s biceps in his hands, and pulled him in closer until their foreheads met. Both men smiled to themselves, their eyes closed to seal themselves away in a private moment.

It was this exact pose, funny enough, that Ian had chosen for this gift. There were many pictures to choose from, but this one was certainly Ian’s favorite, and it would turn out Mickey’s as well. This photo was not posed as the other wedding photos were, this was a candid shot of them in an embrace just after their first dance officially concluded. Their private moment allowed for their love to shine through, almost as though it were a tangible thing.

Mickey set the picture on their dresser immediately after breaking away from a brief kiss and their embrace, the Gallaghers scattering back to the living room to pretend that they hadn’t been eavesdropping. He stared at it a few moments before returning to the family for the rest of their celebration. As Gallaghers, they had a long day of partying ahead.