Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You top Mikey Milkovich?" Lip raised an eyebrow. It was the first time since Ian told him about the situation with Mickey that he actually asked who does what.

"Yeah." Ian took the cigarette from him.

"You." Lip pointed a finger at his face. "Fuck Mikey Milkovich? Mikey Milkovich takes it up the ass from you?"

"It's like you're hearing the whole thing for the first time. Could you be any louder!" Ian hissed.

"Calm down." Lip rolled his eyes. "Everyone's downstairs. And anyway, I don't know, guess I never really thought about who's the one getting fucked."

"Do I look like a bottom to you?" Ian handed back the cigarette.

"I don't fucking know. Also I never asked, how was it? Better than Kash?"

"Honestly, yeah." Ian confessed.

"For real?"

"Uh-huh."

"Damn. What now?"

Ian made a face. "Fuck if I know."

"Does Mandy know?"

"Nahh. Just you."

"Damn. Did you guys even talk? Mickey and you, I mean. Not Mandy."

"Not really. We talk a little now but not much."

"Huh. So it was just a hookup thing?"

"Pretty much."

Lip nodded and leaned back against the wall. Then he put the cigarette and sighed. "Shit, that was the last one. Anyway, who knew Mickey of all people liked it up the ass."

"Hey, check this out." Ian rolled over to grab something from his drawer.

"Ian." Lip laughed when he started shuffling through some old magazines. "Those the army boys you jerk off to?"

"Fuck off." Ian laughed and kicked him, then he found what he was looking for. It was a pack of some fancy cigarettes, black ones.

"How the fuck did you get that?" Lip sat up straight and reached for the pack.

"Nuh-uh." Ian held them out of reach. "Mine. Mandy snatched two packs from some store at the mall. Gave me one if I go to this party with her."

"Slut. Whoring yourself out for a pack of smokes." Lip provoked. "Give it here."

Ian just chuckled and took one from the pack to give it to Lip. "One freebie."

"I'll do your chores for a week if we split them 50/50." Lip offered.

"Two weeks." Ian countered. "And I pick which two weeks."

"Bet."

Ian laughed at how quickly his brother caved when it came to cigarette, he took Lip's old pack to give him half of the new one. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Shut up." Lip rolled his eyes and lit one right away. "This is good."

"Right?"

"Anyway, back to it-" Lip started but got distracted when they realized someone was throwing rocks at their window. "The fuck?"

Ian looked who it was and then opened the window. "Mandy?"

"The back." She said and walked around the house.

"What does she want?" Lip asked.

"Don't know." Ian got up and went to see what it was. Lip followed but stayed waiting in the kitchen.

"What's up?" Ian asked.

"Can I stay the night?" Mandy asked, she looked like she'd been crying. Also, Ian couldn't tell if she had a black eye or if her makeup was smeared. "Dad's on a rampage and the boys have some idiots over."

Ian sighed, understanding. "Sure, but you'll have to put up with Lip and Liam."

"I'll survive." Mandy smiled weakly. "Thanks, really."

"It's nothing." Ian said and took her inside.

Lip looked up from where he was fiddling with the fan when they walked in. "Staying?"

"I don't snore." Mandy assured.

"Sweet, that makes four people in our room which means we're taking this one up too." Lip said and went to unplug the fan.

In their room, Ian dug through his stuff and tossed Mandy some shorts and a shirt. "Here."

"Thanks." Mandy said and changed quickly.

Lip came in and set up the other fan.

"Got anything? I need to get out of my head." Mandy asked.

"Top drawer." Lip said to Ian, who went to get the joint and lit it. They started passing it around.

Mandy had stayed over once or twice before that summer already, but that time seemed by far the worst.

What Ian had seen turned out to be just makeup, but Mandy was still pretty roughed up. Her brother's friends did it, apparently.

"I mean, Mickey is still a shithead, but he usually prevents shit like this." Mandy confessed. "But he's out cold."

"When he can't prevent it you can always crash here." Ian told her.

"Thanks." She smiled at that and put her head in Ian's lap.

Despite the unbearable heat, Ian didn't make her move, just passed the joint to her with a nod.

"Shit. You pass for a couple too well." Lip joked.

"Leave a touch starved girl alone." Mandy laughed. "He's like the only guy that I know for sure doesn't want to fuck me, and I'm a cuddly person."

"Your brothers really that bad?" Lip had to ask.

Mandy chuckled bitterly. "I think the last time one of those two dimwits hugged me was when I was in diapers. Mickey isn't so bad but he thinks brotherly affection means pulling my hair and breaking my stuff."

"That's fucked." Lip agreed.

Mandy suddenly remembered something. "Shit, I'm on my period, don't want to stain your sheets."

"You're fine." Ian said.

"For real?"

"Yeah."

"You're 100% sure you're gay?" Lip asked. "Because this is a very much couple thing."

Mandy took Ian's hand and put it on her chest.

Ian just looked at Lip blankly. "This point enough?"

"Maybe Frank dropped you on the head when you were a baby." Lip joked.

Ian laughed. "Maybe I didn't look enough like him."

"You're not Frank's?" Mandy asked.

"Nope. His brother's, apparently." Ian shrugged.

"Damn. I wish I wasn't my dad's."

"Same here." Lip joined.

"You got any ibuprofen or something?" Mandy grimaced after a while. "Got cramps."

"I'll do it." Lip said and got down from his bed.

He went into the bathroom and sorted through the medicine before he found something. He tossed it to Mandy from the door. "It's a painkiller, not sure what."

"Thanks." Mandy sighed and swallowed the pill without asking for water.

"You're still touching her boobs, dude." Lip added.

Ian and Mandy laughed when they realized.

"Gay as fuck." Mandy concluded.

Chapter Text

The three of them stayed up well into the night, and they spent the following day together as well, not really doing much since Mandy had pretty bad cramps for the majority of the day, but both Ian and Lip tried to make her feel at least a little better. They both knew Fiona would have their balls if they didn't take proper care of Mandy knowing she was on her period.

Mickey ended up coming to look for her in the evening. Fiona let him into the back yard where Lip, Ian, and Mandy were.

"The fuck is going on?" He asked when he saw Mandy happily mixing a face mask.

"What? Y'all got hungry and can't turn on the damn stove?" She asked.

"Fuck off." Mickey came down from the stairs. "Dad's passed out and those two are fuck knows where."

"So you got lonely?" Ian provoked.

"Will one of you losers tell me what the fuck you're doing?"

"Ian and Lip are doing a face mask with me. Because they're normal and don't act like monkeys." Mandy declared proudly and showed Mickey the little bowl where she'd mixed up some bubbly pink substance.

"Fucking faggots."

Ian gave him a pointed look over Mandy's shoulder, but said nothing about it.

"Fucking prick." Mandy mimicked his tone.

"But the thing about monkeys depends on how Fiona would define monkey behaviour." Ian tried to mediate the situation.

"So you're just going to stand there or?" Lip asked and eyed the one free chair.

Mickey looked at it for a few seconds before plopping down and grabbing a beer from the case sitting on the ground. "If you try and touch me with that shit I'll drown all three of you."

"Sure you will." Mandy rolled her eyes and finished putting the mask on Lip before sitting on Ian's lap. "You do mine first."

"Sure." Ian sighed and took the bowl and the brush from her.

"How did she drag you into this bullshit?" Mickey asked, laughing.

"We asked what she wanted to do." Lip just said.

"And just went along?"

"Who pissed in your coffee this morning?" Ian asked, then looked back and Mandy. "Done."

Mandy smiled and looked back at her brother. "You fuckwads never want to do stuff with me so I found myself somebody who will."

"Uh-huh." Mickey rolled his eyes.

Mandy was about to respond when she looked down and realized Ian's shorts that she was wearing had gotten all bloody. "Shit."

Ian looked down as well, not sure why their banter had stopped and why Mandy sounded almost scared all of a sudden.

"Sorry." She sighed and got up. "Fuck I forgot to go and change the damn pad-"

"Too much fucking information!" Mickey yelled.

"Hey, shut up." Ian told him and stood up. "Mandy, it's fine."

"I'm sorry. It's going to stain. Shit I should've-"

"It's just a pair of shorts." Ian assured her and took her arm. "Come on, we'll find you something clean to wear. Your clothes are probably clean by now."

Mandy followed him inside. "And I can do your face mask after?"

"Sure." Ian agreed without much fuss.

A few minutes later the two of them came back, with Mandy wearing the pants she had come over in the previous night, and snacking on a chocolate bar.

"Take notes, asshole." She told Mickey as her and Ian sat back down and she put the facemask on him. Which left Mickey the only one who didn't have glittery pink bubbles all over his face.

Mickey knew Mandy was pretty attached to Ian, but seeing them so touchy really drove the point home. She even ended up dozing off sitting on Ian's lap. Lip also noticed that the two of them were almost always touching, and Mandy sat on Ian's lap more often than on a regular chair.

"What the fuck is she on?" Mickey asked.

"Nothing." Ian answered quietly. "Why?"

"Like fuck she isn't. She doesn't sleep unless she's locked in her room. Nothing can knock her out."

"She sleeps just fine here." Lip said.

Mickey's eyes darted between the two brothers and his sister as if they had all just grown a second head.

"You could be a little more gentle with her. At least these few days." Ian suggested.

Lip scoffed. "By the way she reacted to those shorts I'd guess none of you at home even know what a period is."

"That's none of our business."

"So you can go out and try to kill someone over a failed blow job but you can't give her a fucking break when she's bleeding for seven days?" Ian asked.

"You still never got that beating." Mickey pointed out. "Might get it now if you don't stop pretending you're so much better than me."

"Not the point." Lip cut in.

"She said Terry blows up if she leaves a tampon wrapper out or something. She can stay here for those few days." Ian went on.

"Don't get cocky firecrotch."

"Mickey for fuck's sake she's in pain. Like extreme pain, she could barely get up in the morning." Ian snapped.

"Will Terry even notice she's not there?" Lip asked.

Mickey rolled his eyes. "As soon as he wants to eat and there's no one to cook."

"You're telling me that between the five of you she's really the only one who knows how to use a damn stove?" Ian made a face.

"Shut the fuck up, firecrotch." Mickey got up but Lip stopped him. As a response, Mickey left.

Mandy stayed with them for four more days before going back, Mickey covered for her at home so Terry wouldn't get angry at her. That little back yard night became a common occurrence that summer.

Chapter Text

At work, Mickey seemed to be beating around a bush with Ian, something he never did.

"What's up with you?" Ian finally asked, it was pretty early and they were stocking the shelves before opening.

Surprisingly, Mickey just gave in. "What's your deal with Mandy? Making me look bad?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"There's no "my deal with Mandy". If me being normal makes you look bad maybe you're the problem." Ian said and just ducked when Mickey swung a fist at him. "My point."

"The fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, she knows you'd kill someone for her. Nice, you've proven that."

"Yeah you shat your pants back then." Mickey laughed.

"Did not."

"Lip took a beating for you because you were hiding."

"Do you want my help or not?"

Mickey rolled his eyes but waved his hand for Ian to continue.

"So you'd break someone's knees if she just said he looked at her wrong. She knows that. But that's a very rare, very specific situation. That can't be the only way you show her you care."

"I'm not letting her put that shit on my face."

"What's her favourite music?" Ian sighed. "What are the names of her friends other than me and Lip, which movie is her favourite, do you know anything about your own sister?"

"What and you know all that shit about your siblings?"

"Not everything about everyone but I know some. I know enough. She knows you'd bite a bullet for her, she's not stupid, but from time to time you could let her put a fucking face mask on you if it makes her happy."

Mickey was glaring at him, but he seemed to be thinking about it.

"Come with us to this concert. She planned on selling the ticket but you can have it."

"She just have tickets lying around?"

"Mandy got the tickets and but her friends blew her off, so she asked Lip and me, and there's a forth ticket."

"Whatever."

At the concert a few days later, Mickey mostly observed the way Mandy acted around Ian. So drastically different then how she was at home.

"Up!" She demanded suddenly.

Ian laughed and crouched down so she could get onto his shoulders. "Careful!"

"Woo!" Mandy just yelled and put her hands up.

"Jesus." Ian chuckled and held onto her legs so she wouldn't fall.

He held her like that for quite a while, long enough for her to catch one of the sticks the drummer threw into the crowd.

"Look!" She squealed and waved it around.

"You'll take someone's eye out!" Ian laughed.

Mandy laughed as well before going back to singing along. Some guy was trying to shove his way forward but before Mickey could threaten him Ian just pulled Mandy out of the way without her even noticing something was wrong.

During the whole thing Mandy seemed more care free than Mickey had seen her in years, and he realized it wasn't the concert making her feel that safe, but Ian.

He was enjoying the show himself, but he was always on alert to make sure nobody got to spoil Mandy's fun. Mickey was also aware Ian and Lip were fighting, but Ian didn't rain on Mandy's parade with it.

During their walk back from the show, and they walked because they missed the last bus, he noticed Mandy getting more and more quiet the closer they got to home.

"Got anything planned for tomorrow?" She asked.

"I've got a double shift but I could do something after, why?" Ian asked.

"You're working double?" Mickey asked.

"You're not?" Mandy turned to him.

"Just the morning. Who's got the afternoon shift then?" Mickey asked.

"Just me."

Mandy seemed to brighten up. "I could come and help."

Mickey realized she was looking for a way to get out of the house as soon as possible for as long as possible.

"Linda would kill us both." Ian said, he seemed truly sorry.

"You can help Kev with the ice cream truck." Ian offered. "He's looking for a pair of extra hands now that Karen doesn't work there anymore."

"Sure." Mandy agreed.

"Why you working alone?" Mickey asked Ian.

"Linda can't pay both of us for a double shift." Ian said.

"Shit." Mandy said when their house came into view.

Mickey looked at the parked car. "Fuck."

"What's up?" Ian asked.

"Looks like our uncle and cousins." Mandy said. "Pieces of shit."

Mickey looked at the way she was clinging onto Ian's arm and remembered the last time one of their cousins got too physical with Mandy. "Cool if she stays the night again?"

Mandy seemed surprised that Mickey was the one to ask.

"Of course." Ian answered. "What will you do?"

"Tell them she's at a friend's house. Not even lying." Mickey shrugged.

"If they're drunk already they won't notice if you don't show up." Mandy told him.

"They might go looking for you if somebody doesn't get them hammered." Mickey said and started walking towards the house. "Might be late in the morning, firecrotch!"

Ian rolled his eyes and put an arm around Mandy. "Let's go."

"Last time those assholes came around I barely got them out." Mandy scoffed. "Took me five days."

"Like rats." Ian observed.

"Rats don't jack off into their cousin's bra drawer." She pointed out.

"Fuck." You sure Mickey's will be fine?"

"Oh, yeah." Mandy said. "The little fuckwads are scared shitless of him."

Fiona was just leaving for her shift when they stepped into the yard. "Ian run the washer when this load is done. Hi, Mandy."

"Hi." Mandy waved.

"Have the kids in bed by midnight." Fiona told her brother. "Oh, and don't you dare smoke in the same room as Liam again."

"Noted." Ian said.

Ian and Mandy went inside and realized there was a load of dishes sitting in the sink.

"I'll dry." Mandy took a rag.

"Sure."

Lip came in and silently started fiddling with a broken fan, he ended up pulling apart the entire thing just to get to one part. "Yo, Carl!"

"Yeah?!" Carl yelled from the living room.

"Get me that junk box!"

"I'm busy!"

"Get the junk box or I tell all your buddies you still wet the bed!" Lip threatened.

Carl kept complaining, but he went and fetched the box.

"Effective." Mandy remarked.

Ian didn't say anything, just kept washing the dishes and handing them over to her. Mandy got the hint and kept silent until they were done.

Grammy came in and observed her for a second. "You're not one of mine."

"No." Mandy confirmed.

"She's my girlfriend." Ian said. "Mandy, this is our grandma."

"Pretty." Grammy observed.

"Thank you." Mandy smiled.

"Don't make me a great Grammy." She told Ian.

Ian laughed, followed by Mandy.

"Cross my heart." He promised, making Mandy laugh even more.

"There. Take the girl somewhere nice." Grammy shoved a couple of bills into his pocket.

Ian grinned. "Thanks."

Mandy sat up on the counter and kicked her feet while drying a plate. "There's a carnival coming in two days."

"I'll win you a teddy bear." Ian promised.

"I'll win you a teddy bear." Lip mocked him, then got up and left.

"When are you two going to make up?" Mandy asked Ian. "Why not just beat it out?"

Chapter Text

Mandy got her answer two days later, when she went to meet up with Ian for the carnival they were set to go to and found the two of them in their room laughing.

"The fuck happened to you two?" She asked.

"We made up." Ian told her.

"See? Sometimes fists work." She smiled and held out a hand. "Now come on, there's this dumb bitch that you need to make jealous."

Ian laughed and got up, reaching for a clean shirt.

"Not that one." Mandy protested. "The one that's tighter, shows the six pack better."

"Who are you trying to make jealous?" Ian laughed and simply put on the shirt she ordered. "This good?"

Mandy smiled and looked around a bit, then noticed Lip's belt. "Give it to him."

"Like fuck." Lip chuckled.

"Give him the belt, Lip." Mandy ordered. "Need that blondie to see my man is hotter than hers. Belt."

"Your man is gay. Jesus. How does the belt help?"

"It adds to the outfit. Give it here." Mandy reached up onto Lip's bed. "I'll climb up there if I have to."

"Okay, okay!" Lip laughed and gave Ian the bed. "If that comes back damaged I'll beat you up again."

Ian scoffed. "You threw one solid punch, on accident probably."

"If you plan on being in the military you'll need more than push-ups." Lip provoked. "You punch like a-OW!"

Ian had just patted Lip's side, knowing he had landed a good punch there. "Uh-huh."

"You know sometimes it's a shame you're gay." Mandy laughed and put his arm around her shoulder as they left. "I'd so date you if you weren't."

"Thanks?" Ian said and flipped Lip off before leaving.

"Little shit." Lip laughed and flipped him off as well.

"Going somewhere?" Fiona asked when Ian and Mandy came downstairs.

"Carnival." Ian informed.

"Ian's going to win me a stuffie and make that idiot Sarah freak." Mandy added proudly.

Fiona just laughed. "Lip not going with you?"

Ian shook his head. "Just us, but we figured it out."

"Good." Fiona nodded. "Don't get shitfaced."

"Won't."

"Need him sober." Mandy assured her.

At the carnival, Mandy laid out the whole strategy to Ian. Apparently the Sarah that pissed her off somehow has had a crush on Ian since they were eleven, so Ian had to be all over Mandy in Sarah's line of sight.

The thing was, he didn't even have to put in that much work, given that both of them were very touchy, and clung onto one another regardless, but Ian amped it up for the sake of Mandy's plot.

His first hit came when they approached the shooting game, and Sarah was behind them in line. They both knew those were rigged, but they also knew if they slipped some weed to the guy working the game he'd let them have it.

"What do I have to hit for the giant bear?" He asked, pointing at the huge red panta plushie hanging in the back.

"Knock the cowboy's hat down. Minimum of three tickets." The guy working there said, sounding completely lifeless. "You Lip's kid brother?"

"One of them." Ian confirmed and got out the tickets, careful to bundle up two joints in them.

"Babe, you know these are all rigged." Mandy pretended to protest.

"You said you wanted that thing." Ian smirked, enjoying their little game. "I'll win it for you."

The guy took Ian's tickets and started the game. The figure of the cowboy started moving around on some sort of jerky mechanism.

Ian took the plastic gun and missed one on purpose before going straight for the little hat dangling on the figure's head. It flew off, hitting the back wall.

"Oh my God!" Mandy squealed and started kissing Ian's face, leaving lipgloss everywhere. "Oh, sorry."

"Jesus." The worker crumbled at the high pitched noise, then went to get the plushie.

Ian laughed and put an arm around Mandy's waist. "See? Told you."

"Congratulations." The worker said flatly, handing over the toy.

"It's so soft." Mandy grinned and hugged it, it was half her size.

When they turned to leave, they saw Sarah was red in the face, and then she started demanding her date win her something too.

Mandy cackled once they were out of earshot. "That was brilliant!"

"Ew, this is sticky." Ian wiped the lipgloss off his face, but he was also laughing. "I thought she was going to boil."

"We're not done yet, I need her to have a proper meltdown."

"What did she do to you anyway?"

"Called me a skank among other things, but that's not why we're doing this. We're doing this because she's been talking smack about that little cultie kid your neighbours fostered, and I liked her."

Ian gained even more resolve to give the best performance of his life. "So what's next?"

"We go into the horror house when she does, I pretend to get all scared and shit, and you're a knight in shining armour."

"Kind of why you got interested in me."

"Yeah, a little."

In the horror house Mandy's act was so good Ian got concerned she was actually terrified, but then he caught her snickering between screams.

"And the Oscar goes to Mandy Milkovich." He whispered to her, making sure Sarah saw it, but she had no way of knowing what he had said.

Mandy just laughed, but made it look like sobbing. "Crying on command is the only thing that works to get me out of shit."

"Well practiced then."

"Uh-huh. Almost as well as your straight act." Mandy said and ushered him along.

Sarah was in front of them this time, but she kept looking back, so much so that she almost didn't notice her date had abandoned her and ran back. Almost, because she she got scared and reached for the guy she ended up grabbing a prop skeleton instead, sending her screaming and crying.

Once outside, Mandy sat Ian down on a bench and sat in his lap, waiting for Sarah to come out before she started sobbing into his chest and clinging onto the giant plushie.

Ian could barely keep himself from laughing when he stroked her back and kissed her hair, hoping his face didn't give him away.

They laughed so much that night their faces hurt, but they kept looking at each other and laughing again and again. In the end they sat on the back stairs laughing their asses off until the sun came up and they realized they had been up all night.

Little did they know not even a full week later they'd be sitting on that same back porch, with Mandy now actually sobbing and Ian trying and failing to fight his tears.

"You know, I've always been a little jealous of you. Even when we were kids." Mandy confessed. Ian was sitting against the wall and she was in his lap, curled up like she wanted to take up as little space as humanly possible.

Ian put his arms around her. "Why?"

"You had Fiona. And Lip. I know it's fucked, and I know Monica and Frank are pieces of shit as well. But sometimes I think I wouldn't be this fucked up if I had a Fiona."

"I get it." Ian said, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have lived past 15 if he hadn't had Fiona and Lip. "But you've got me now."

Mandy looked up at him, then broke out into more sobbing. She wouldn't let go of him for anything in that moment, so it was a given that she'd stay the night again.

Ian heard Lip and Fiona arguing in the kitchen, and that made him start to sob as well.

They ended up cuddling the whole night, trying to comfort each other in any way they could, trying to will the morning not to come so soon, trying and failing to have hope for anything.

Yet, despite their want to stay in Ian's bed forever, the sun rose as surely as ever, and they were both forced to confront the cruel reality.

"For what it's worth, before it all went to shit, this was the best summer of my life." Mandy said as she was leaving in the morning.

"Mine too." Ian agreed and hugged her again.

Mandy hugged him back, then just stayed like that for a couple of seconds. "Maybe it'll be like that again soon."

"Maybe."

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said.

"Yeah." Ian agreed, he had to force himself to let go of her, and then he just stood there at the door for a few moments before sitting down at the table.

Chapter Text

"Ian." Fiona came in, sounding exhausted. "A hand."

Ian got up and helped her move the couch back to the living room. "I'm sorry, Fi."

"What for?" Fiona seemed confused.

"I don't know." Ian sighed. "Believing her bullshit again."

Fiona exhaled loudly and sat down, patting the spot next to her. "It's not your fault, I believed her too."

Ian sat down next to her and rubbed his eyes. "And I'm sorry I can't be like Lip."

"I don't need you to." Fiona put an arm around him. "Come on, we'll figure something out. We always do."

"You always do." Ian corrected. "Or at least you and Lip."

"Bullshit. Don't give me that. Neither of us would've made it this far without you."

Ian leaned his head against Fiona's shoulder. He didn't want to cry, wouldn't cry in front of Fiona of all people. She had enough to deal with.

"It's okay." Fiona said softly and ruffled his hair. "It'll be okay."

Ian nodded slowly, unsure if either of them believed it, but he nodded anyway.

Frank found them like that, stumbling in and yelling nonsense as always. "Would you look at that. My favourite and least favourite child hanging out."

"Frank!" Fiona snapped.

"Luckily I'm not your child, remember?" Ian reminded him, then turned to Fiona. "Need something before I go to work?"

"No, could you just take the trash out when you leave?"

"Sure." Ian agreed and walked around hank, glaring. "Should take you out with it but the truck wouldn't take you."

"As if you have a say in-"

"Frank, shut the fuck up." Fiona pushed past him to follow Ian into the kitchen. "Will you handle Liam tonight? I took a night shift."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." He agreed as he was putting on his jacket. "See you in the morning then."

"Yeah." Fiona nodded.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Frank stumbled in after Ian closed the door. "That kid-"

"If you speak to him like that one more time you're sleeping on the fucking porch." Fiona informed him flatly.

At the store, Linda was waiting for Ian with her arms crossed. "You sorted that thing out?"

"Won't happen again." Ian told her.

"Better not. If you're involved in any more incidents in this store start looking for a new job. Any incident, but especially the Milkovich kind."

Ian nodded. "Got it."

Linda followed him around the store for a while, then sighed quietly. "Ian, come here."

He turned around to face her and leaned against a shelf. "Everything's ordered and the inventory-"

"It's not about that."

"Then what is it?"

"You're a good kid." Linda said. "Don't let yourself to get stuck here."

Ian nodded. "Thanks."

Surprisingly, Linda stayed in the store for Ian's whole shift, she even tried getting him to talk to her about why Terry Milkovich was after him.

"Linda, it's not just about me. There's other people involved and I shouldn't discuss their personal stuff with you."

"Their personal stuff got my store trashed." Linda remarked. "But nevermind, when is Mickey coming back from juvie?"

"You're going to give him the job back?" Ian asked.

"As much as I don't want to, when he's here the inventory always marches the register."

"He'll be out in a few weeks."

"Let him know I expect him to work immediately."

"Will do."

"Oh, are you looking to make some extra money?"

"Sure, need me to cover a shift or?"

"No, but a woman from the mosque is looking for someone to help with some furniture. The building has no elevator and her husband has bad knees, want me to recommend you and your brother for help? She said she'd pay."

"Yeah. That'd be great, actually."

The woman ended up agreeing, and three days later Lip and Ian found themselves in front of a truck full of furniture and eight flights of stairs.

The couple had a daughter who was the one directing them on where to put the furniture.

"Fucking Monica. Fucking Frank. Fucking money. Fucking squirrel fund." Lip kept cursing while they hauled a closet up the stairs.

"Stop waisting your breath." Ian just said. "And come on, we've only got this and those chairs."

"Give me a goddamn second." Lip huffed.

"Out of shape much?" Ian laughed.

"I'll shove you into this closet."

"Would that be a hate crime?"

Lip rolled his eyes. "Yeah, against the closet."

"Talk about brotherly love."

"My ribs are still fucking bruised."

"Not my fault you can't throw a punch."

"Was it you at the fight club?"

"You were taking punches there." Ian laughed more.

Lip groaned when they made it to the apartment again. "I will smother you in your sleep."

"Yeah, yeah." Ian rolled his eyes. "Where to?"

The daughter pointed to the hallway. "Second room on the right."

She followed them and showed them where exactly to put it.

They went down and back up for the set of chairs as well, before collecting their money and making their way outside, where Ian realized the girl had put a piece of paper with her number in between the bills.

"You sure that's for you?" Lip teased.

Ian made a face. "Unless 'the cute ginger one' can be applied to you."

Lip laughed. "The cute part can."

"You've got Mandy." Ian warned and threw the paper into a trash can.

Chapter Text

Just as things started looking up again, Monica happened. Because of course she did. Ian felt like he was going insane, and the icing on the cake came when he found out he had been hooking up with the father of his sister's boyfriend.

"Hey!" Mandy walked into the bathroom while Ian was showering. "Quit screaming! It's me."

"Jesus, Mandy." Ian said. "Oh, yeah, 'quit screaming, it's me', as if you didn't just stroll in while I'm showering."

"Lip's not home so I had no one to keep me company." Mandy informed and sat down on Liam's little stool. "Anyway, what's up? What is it that you need to spill to someone so urgently."

"So, I kind of accidentally fucked Steve/Jimmy's father." Ian told her, not bothered with privacy given that by then they had both seen each other naked more than once.

"Damn." Mandy chuckled. "How do you accidentally do that?"

"Before Thanksgiving I went to this club and he was there and we hooked up, the guy kept buying me these fancy ass drinks the whole night, popped three pills to keep up later, ordered room service, and then a few days later Fiona takes us to dinner with her boyfriend's parents and he shows up."

Mandy had to laugh. "Fuck. Was it at least good?"

Ian shrugged. "Wasn't bad, actually better than Kash, he also buys me stuff, so that's a plus, but sometimes he says some weird shit."

"Most guys do." Mandy informed.

Ian laughed too. "Great. Pass me that towel."

Mandy gave it to him. "Wanna come visit Mickey with me today?"

"Sure." Ian put the towel around his waist and stepped out of the tub.

When they came downstairs Frank was yelling something in the living room, tearing stuff apart.

"He looking for money again?" Ian asked Fiona.

"Fork found in kitchen." Fiona said. "Where you going?"

"To visit Mickey." Mandy answered.

Fiona nodded, clearly displeased by the fact but she knew she couldn't really do anything to stop it. "Need you at home tonight, please."

"Date?" Ian asked.

"Something like that. Lip took a night shift. Will you be fine with them?"

"I'd rather deal with Debbie, Carl and Liam times ten than one Frank." Ian said. "We'll be fine, go."

"Thanks." Fiona smiled.

At the juvie Mickey seemed surprised to see Ian sitting there with Mandy. "The fuck you want?"

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine." Ian observed.

"Like he's ever been." Mandy chuckled. "Anyway-"

"What's that?" Mickey pointed at the hickey on her neck. "Who the fuck did that?"

"None of your business." Mandy scoffed.

"What you looking at me for?" Ian asked, making sure Mandy didn't see the way he gave Mickey a very distinct look, as if reminding him which Milkovich sibling is his type.

"Fine." Mickey gave up. "What's with the shirt then?"

"It's Ian's." Mandy said.

"Actually it's Lip's." Ian said. "Where'd you get it?"

"Off your bed." Mandy shrugged. "Take it up with whoever sorted your laundry."

"You sound like a married couple." Mickey commented.

"Lavender marriage looking more and more appealing." Mandy joked.

Mickey made a face. "What?"

"A straight person and a gay person, or like, a lesbian and a gay who are together for cover." Mandy explained, unamused at her brother's lack of knowledge about pretty much anything that wasn't guns and knives.

"Whatever." Mickey moved on quickly. "Got what I asked for?"

"Yeah." Mandy rolled her eyes.

"You know, usually you ask your sister how she's doing too." Ian had to remark.

"Fuck you." Mickey flipped him off, which earned him a warning from one of the guards.

"Don't go and get yourself a prolonged stay." Mandy sighed.

"Miss me?" Mickey mocked, but then he took a closer look at her face. "You with aunt Rande?"

Mandy shook her head. "Their place."

Mickey looked at Ian in surprise. "Like she lives with you now?"

"Almost." Ian shrugged. "Fiona's not too happy but only because she doesn't want trouble again."

"What happened?" Mickey asked, for the first time Ian heard concern in his voice. "Old man do something?"

"It's all over."

"Amanda." Mickey said, the use of her full name startled both Ian and Mandy. "What the fuck happened?"

Mandy looked around, then spoke so quietly it was barely audible. "Dumb and dumber went MIA for a few days, dad got plastered, I mean he was on everything but glue, he thought I was mom again."

The way Mickey's face changed and the way Mandy's voice sounded so weak made Ian's stomach drop. He knew he cared about Mandy, very much, but he also had to face the fact that he cared about Mickey.

Mickey put two and two together, he knew Ian had gotten beaten up by Terry, and with what Mandy had told him, he realized the reason. "Fucking shit."

"It's been delt with." Mandy said before he could fly off the handle.

"How the fuck did you get the money?"

"Made a fundraiser at the Alibi, said it was for abandoned puppies or the crunch or whatever got people to spend their money." Ian explained.

"You helped her?" Mickey asked.

"Obviously." Ian sighed. "It's all fine now."

"Time's up!" The guard stepped forward.

"Don't be fucking stupid." Mandy warned before the door closed.

Chapter Text

The entire school year was more or less that, the usual ups and downs with the occasional shit show.

When summer break started Ian walked in on Lip and Mandy hooking up on his bed.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you." He told Lip and shut the door. "Off of my bed!"

Some ten minutes later Lip and Mandy came downstairs, laughing at Ian's reaction.

"I will poison you in your sleep." Ian threatened Lip.

"Sure you will." Lip chuckled.

Mandy laughed as well. "Got any plans today?"

"No, why?"

"Remember Sarah?"

"The chick we terrorized at the carnival?"

"Yup. She's been raving and raving how she's so into men in uniform." Mandy practically cackled. "And there's this bonfire happening, so I thought we go and drive her insane again."

Ian had to laugh. "And I assume the uniform will play a part in it?"

"Do the pants and boots, a tank top, got a dog tag?"

"No." Ian laughed.

Lip snorted at the table. "And what am I?"

"Let her thinking I'm boning you both." Mandy shrugged. "You're not going dressed like that, though."

"What's wrong with this?"

"Everything." Mandy observed, then took Ian's hand and started dragging him up the stairs. "Come on, both of you, we're playing dress up."

"Why are we tolerating this?" Lip asked and followed.

"You're at least fucking, I'm just dragged around like a keychain." Ian observed.

"Lip, you're tolerating this because I'm the best fuck of your life. Ian you're tolerating this because you love me." Mandy informed them.

She started digging through Lip's clothes. "Chop, chop, soldier boy."

"You and Mickey need to stop with the nicknames." Ian pulled out the camo pants and a gray tank top.

"White. So I can pour something on you and make it see through." Mandy ordered.

Lip quite literally pointed and laughed. "She's making you Sarah's wet dream."

"At least he can look like a wet dream, what the fuck is all this?" Mandy sighed while shuffling through Lip's shirts. "You're lucky you have a big dick."

Ian stuck his tongue out to Lip, cackling.

"Shut up, you look like a leprechaun." Lip countered.

"You'd be surprised how many people are into a freckled ass." Mandy shrugged and threw a shirt at him, then got to finding some decent pants. "This, and for the love of everything lose the khakis."

"She's seen your ass?" Lip asked Ian.

"She walks in while I shower like it's the central station." Ian said casually.

Mandy gave Lip a look. "He's seen everything you've seen, only like months before you."

"You two are weird as fuck." Lip changed his shirt.

"Says the resident creepy scientist." Mandy threw him a pair of jeans. "That'll have to do. Now, back to you firecrotch."

Ian rolled his eyes at the nickname. "What?"

"Need some silver, can you borrow anything from Kevin?"

"He'd fucking kill me."

"I think he left a necklace in the bathroom the other day." Lip said.

Mandy went to check and came back with a silver chain that she put on Ian. "Perfect."

"What's this?" Debbie asked from the hallway.

"Making a nasty bitch jealous." Mandy informed and turned to Ian. "Now, as adorable as you are and as gay as you are, I need to channel whatever the fuck Lip has going on. If at any give moment at least three girls aren't actively drooling, means you're doing something wrong."

"My poor sense of fashion doesn't seem to get in the way of that." Lip said from his bed.

Mandy sighed. "Yeah I don't know what or who you sacrificed to get to where you are, but I'm telling you, if Ian wasn't gay he'd be pulling thrice as many girls as you are."

"If Ian didn't have this one thing called self respect." Ian added.

"Oh, really?" Lip asked. "Who is it again that's screwing-"

"Fiona will hear you!" Ian hissed. "Fuck's sake the door's wide open."

"Relax. She left half an hour ago."

"Back to the point, boys." Mandy snapped her fingers. "Let's go."

"Backtrack a little. What was that about little Ian being able to pull more than me?" Lip jumped down from the bed.

"I'm like, ten times hotter." Ian rolled his eyes.

Lip scoffed. "Did somebody tell you that in the dark?"

Mandy turned, walking backwards down the hallway. "If Ian wasn't gay I wouldn't be screwing you, Lip."

"Ha!" Ian grinned.

"Shut up." Lip shoved him playfully.

Chapter Text

Ian and Lip ended up having way too much fun fulfilling Mandy's little wish.

When Sarah started approaching, Mandy leaned in to whisper to Ian. "Just so you don't go soft on her, remember she called Fiona a skank that one time."

Ian rolled his eyes and nodded. "Got it, enjoy your show."

Mandy grinned and dragged Lip away so they could observe.

Ian noticed Mickey joining the two of them, and when they started talking he figured Mandy was explaining what was going on.

Deciding to try and rile him up, Ian leaned back and watched Sarah walking straight towards him. "Hey."

"Remember me?" She asked.

"Sure, last year's english class, right?"

"Math, but who gives a fuck." Sarah waved it off. "So, you're going into the army after graduation, right?"

"That's the plan." Ian took a sip of his drink while maintaining eye contact. "What's your plan?"

Sarah eyed him up and down. "That uniform really looks great on you."

"You think?" Ian smiled, though what made him smile was seeing Mickey pacing in his peripheral vision.

"Yeah. Hey, can you do that thing, where you do push-ups when someone's sitting on your back?"

Ian had to laugh, but he somehow played it off as flirting. "Never tried it, but pretty sure I could."

"Wanna try it now? We can like, make a competition." Sarah gestured around. "There's a few other guys who want to get into the army, though none of them are as cute as you."

To Ian's horror and Lip's utmost amusement, Sarah ended up getting the whole crowd in a circle, everyone wanting to see who could actually do it.

"Last man standing wins." Sarah proclaimed.

"And gets what?" One of the other guys asked.

Lip saw a business opportunity, and he made eye contact with Ian to see if he was confident he could beat these guys. After a more than confident nod, Lip stepped up. "A summer long buy one get one free at the ice cream truck."

The six other guys exchanged a look. "Sweet, but that's your brother."

"If Ian wins he gets five minutes in heaven with me." Sarah threw in.

"We want that too." The others complained.

"Bets!" Lip yelled out.

After the bets were placed and all the guys chose their girls, Sarah took a step towards Ian, assuming she'd be his.

Instead, Ian stepped around her and took Mandy by the waist. Sarah just stood there, dumbfounded.

When he pulled Mandy away, Mickey gave Ian a look that promised later action on account of that whole stunt.

"You're an icon." Mandy whispered to Ian, laughing like a maniac. "Mind if I spill something on you?"

"Go off." Ian said, knowing it would get Mickey's attention as well. Not that Mickey's attention was on anything other than Ian in the first place.

The first two guys couldn't even get up once the girls sat on their backs, three more couldn't make it past ten, and the last one fell down after fifty two.

"Pay up." Lip smirked and started collecting the money around.

"So, you won." Sarah stepped closer to Ian. "Wanna-"

"Actually, I was thinking we dip." Ian didn't even look at her, instead he leaned down to talk to Mandy, he was whispering nonsense, but she giggled and squirmed like she was auditioning for a movie.

"Isn't she your brother's girlfriend now?" Sarah dared to ask.

"Who says I can't have both?" Mandy winked and dragged Ian away, but not before spilling her drink down his shirt, making the white fabric cling to him.

They made it far enough from the crowd before starting to laugh like a pack of hyenas.

Chapter Text

Fiona found them all in the living room next morning. Ian on one end of the couch with Mandy cuddled up to him instead of cuddled up to Lip, surprisingly. Lip on the other end, half sitting half laying down, with Mandy's legs in his lap. And Mickey in the armchair.

Deciding to be a menace, Fiona took a deep breath and yelled out at the top of her lungs. "Breakfast!"

All four of them jumped up like startled cats, making Fiona cackle.

"You're sick." Ian rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's a Saturday, you don't have a shift." Fiona tapped his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you're free. Need someone to clean out the attic."

"Can't Lip do it?" Ian groaned.

Lip kicked him. "Shut up. Ice cream truck."

Ian kicked him back, then Mandy kicked both of them. "Quit squirming, both of you."

"Pick your poison, Milkovich." Fiona told her. "Either the daycare or the attic."

"Attic." Mandy yawned.

"What you live here now?" Mickey laughed.

"At least here I'm not a maid." Mandy said and sat up.

"Breakfast, people." Fiona clapped. "And make the other Milkovich useful if he plans on staying here the whole day."

"Jesus." Lip groaned but got up.

"Looks like she hates you more than me." Mandy told her brother victoriously.

"Fiona doesn't hate you." Ian said.

"Yeah, and the sky is neon purple." Mandy said and went to help Lip in the kitchen.

"I'm going before I get fucking chores assigned here." Mickey got up. "Later, rooftop."

"Sure." Ian agreed. "Need to clear out the attic first."

"Ian! Get your ass here and help!" Lip yelled from the kitchen.

Ian groaned and got to the kitchen, where he first reached for coffee but choked. "Shit, Fiona's."

"She contaminated the whole pot." Lip said. "I'm making a new one."

"Sure." Ian went to wash out his mouth, then looked at Fiona when she came downstairs again. "How the fuck do you drink that?"

"Better a sugar addiction than the other white powder." Fiona shrugged and took the mug he had taken a tip from.

Mandy snorted in a laugh, then full on belly laughed when she couldn't stop it.

All four of them ended up laughing at the casual remark, so much so that Debbie and Carl just stood at the stairs and waited.

"What are yall on?" Carl finally asked.

That didn't help, and it only made them laugh more.

"Okay." Debbie decided and went to help with breakfast.

Upstairs, Liam started crying.

"I'll get him." Ian said.

"Need a hand?" Mandy offered.

"Nahh."

When he came back down with Liam, the kid was chewing on his stuffie monkey.

"How'd he get that thing anyway?" Debbie asked.

"Ian got it for him." Lip remembered. "Right?"

"Yeah." Ian nodded and put his little brother in his seat.

"Toys"r"us?" Mandy read the label on the monkeys arm. "Did you steal it?"

Ian laughed. "Why is that the first thing you assume?"

"Because those things are expensive as fuck."

"Actually, Ian got sappy." Fiona informed.

Lip laughed. "Kash 'n grab had a bin of stuffiest come in for Christmas one time, Linda figured they'd sell with the amount of kids coming with parents and stuff. Faulty toys"r"us stuffies that would've been thrown out otherwise."

"Faulty?" Mandy observed the toy in Liam's arms. "Looks fine to me."

"It's limbs are uneven, and it's supposed to come with a banana."

"Can you show me the monkey, Liam?" Mandy cooed, and Liam held up the toy with a proud smile. "Huh, they are uneven."

"Linda just let you take that?" Carl asked.

"All the others got sold and this one just sat by the register. She was going to toss it but I said I'd take it for Liam if that's cool."

"And now Liam can't sleep without it and Ian is so proud of himself because Liam's favourite toy is the one he got him." Lip added.

"Rubs it in our faces any chance he gets." Fiona added.

"'ick 'ace." Laim told the monkey, making everyone freeze in place. In horror, Mandy remembered calling Mickey a dick face multiple times in the past few days, and realized Liam must've picked it up.

"What did he just say?" Fiona looked around at her two brothers, then at Mandy.

"Why do you automatically think it was us?" Lip turned around, fighting for his life not to laugh.

However, Carl and Debbie both laughed, so the other three used the opportunity to join in without blowing their cover.

"He probably heard it from Frank." Ian lied through his teeth, knowing damn well he and Mandy had made a point to call Mickey nothing but dick face for whatever reason.

"Jesus." Fiona crouched down in front of Liam. "Liam, baby, we don't say that, okay?"

Liam looked from her to Mandy, then looked around the room. Ian and Lip made the connection that he was probably looking for Mickey.

"No 'ick 'ace." Liam declared.

Luckily, Fiona took it as agreement from him. "That's right, no more, okay?"

"Okay." Liam agreed.

Chapter Text

Somehow, Lip, Ian and Mandy managed to make it through the morning without laughing too much.

"Okay, attic." Ian said when the daycare kids started dropping in. "Debs, if you need anything we're upstairs."

"Okay." Debbie nodded.

Mandy followed Ian upstairs. "What's up there anyway?"

"Old clothes, toys, whatever couldn't be sold already and now it's collecting dust." Ian pulled down the ladder. "Careful, don't step on that one, it's weak."

Mandy nodded and followed him up, then laughed when she realized he had to bend almost halfway down not to hit his head. "So where do we start?"

Ian flipped her off and plopped down on the floor, then pulled a pile of boxes closer. "Here, I guess. I sort, you toss down whatever's for burning."

"Sure." Mandy sat down opposite of him, just close enough to the opening in the floor. As they went through the old, dusty stuff, she started rambling about anything she could think of. "So, you're fucking Mickey."

Ian looked up at her, startled.

"Please, I've had a hunch since you got him a job at the store, and he's been eye fucking you every time you walk into the room."

"You never said anything."

"He doesn't know I know." Mandy shrugged. "Don't worry, it wasn't your place to tell me anyway. Isn't it funny, though? You're screwing my brother and I'm screwing yours."

Ian laughed. "Yeah, it is kinda funny."

"Just so you know, he started showering more, even uses proper shampoo and stuff, that was my first hint."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Says he's gonna go shooting at that abandoned building but then he hops in the shower, even if there's no more hot water."

The self satisfied look on Ian's face was priceless.

Mandy laughed when he noticed it. "Okayyy. Someone's got a crush."

"Shut up." Ian threw a shirt at her.

"What I'm hearing is if I were a guy you'd be into me." She threw the shirt downstairs.

"Definitely."

"What's that?" Mandy asked when Ian pulled closer another box, much heavier this time.

"Not sure." Ian opened it and shuffled through. "Frank's shit. Trash."

Mandy nodded. "I can go down and you can hand it over, so we don't break something throwing all that."

Ian nodded. "I'll go down, it's heavy as shit, you just push it to the edge."

As they were doing that, Carl came upstairs and saw Ian shoving the box in a corner.

"What's all that?" He asked.

"Frank's junk. We'll take it to the dumpster later." Ian responded and climbed back up.

Carl got onto the first step of the ladder. "Hey, I'm going to hang out with little Hank."

"Sure, home when the street lamps come on."

"That soon?" Carl whined. "Little Hank gets to stay out for as long as he wants."

"Carl, lamps."

"Fine."

"And if I have to go looking for you I'll embarrass you so much nobody will hang out with you."

"Fineeee." Carl groaned. "You were supposed to be the cool one."

"You'll survive."

"You'd make a pretty good parent." Mandy remarked when they continued sorting through boxes.

"You think?"

"You seem to be doing a pretty good job with your siblings."

"Fiona and Lip do most of the work."

"Still, you'd do good. I can tell." Mandy assured him.

Ian smiled and took another box, this one filled with CDs. Most of them had something scribbled on them in messy handwriting.

"Sleepaway Camp, American Psycho, Spiderman, Pocahontas, Mean Girls, Aristocats, 28 Days Later, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Shark Tale." Mandy read one by one. "Damn you got a whole blockbusters store here."

"Lip was burning CDs for a while, made pretty good money off of it." Ian explained.

Mandy dug through the box. "Can we watch something later?"

"Sure, if the player still works, you pick."

After some shuffling she found two. "One for you and one for me."

Ian looked up to see her holding Top Gun and Dirty dancing. "Not to be stereotypical, huh?"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Shut up, as if you're opposed to oggling Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze in their prime."

"Never said I was."

"Deal, so we're watching both."

"Bet."

"Hey, do you think you could do the lift from Dirty dancing?"

Ian laughed. "I mean, strength wise yeah, but the whole dance sequence no way."

"We're trying that too." Mandy announced and put the two CDs aside.

They were up there for hours and ended up throwing away six boxes and bags worth of junk.

"The hell's all that?" Mickey asked when he saw the two of them dragging bags to the dumpster.

"Trash from the attic." Ian said, then looked at his watch.

"I'm gonna go shoot something, coming?"

Mandy leaned closer to whisper to Ian. "I could so easily cockblock you right now, but I'm going to be nice."

Ian laughed and rolled his eyes at her, then turned to Mickey. "Yeah, just let me throw this all away first."

Just then Lip came back, his shirt around his neck and red in the face.

"The fuck happened to you?" Mickey laughed.

"The fan we have in the van broke." Lip explained.

"You need a shower." Mandy told him.

"Offering to wash my hair?" Lip chuckled.

"Get a room." Ian rolled his eyes, but pushed Mandy along. "Go, I've got this."

Mandy gave him a wink and then dragged Lip inside by the hand.

Mickey watched her quite literally hop along. "What's her deal?"

"They're in love, genius."

"Mandy doesn't do love."

"Yeah neither did Lip, there's a first for everything." Ian threw the last bag into the dumpster. "Let's go."

Chapter Text

The whole abandoned building structure was kind of Mickey's spot. Ian had never seen anyone else there, and Mickey knew it like the back of his hand.

There was one particular part that became theirs, though. On the far left side of the roof, from where you could see lake Michigan.

"Where'd you get that?" Mickey asked when he saw a jagged scar on Ian's calf when he pulled up his shorts.

Ian chuckled. "Uhh, I was like, six? Lip and I had a nerf gun fight and the fence was frayed on one corner, I ran into it and tore through my leg."

"Idiot." Mickey chuckled.

"Fiona freaked out." Ian laughed. "There was so much blood she thought I would lose a leg. At the hospital we somehow sold the excuse that both of our parents were out of town for the day so they wouldn't call CPS."

"That's what, seven stitches?"

"Nine, I think."

Mickey opened a can of beer and drank some before handing it to Ian. "That's nothing."

"I don't think it's a competition."

"Like fuck it isn't."

"Okay, who's winning then?'

"Mandy." Mickey had to admit defeat. "By two."

Ian couldn't help but laugh. "How do you even come up with a game like that?"

"Don't know. Started when we were kids."

"Cute?"

"Shut up." Mickey shoved him and went to sit down on the edge of a window. "Come here."

Ian did, sitting down next to him and dangling his feet over the edge.

"Serious question, how the fuck did you even get set on the whole army thing?"

"It's the only way out." Ian shrugged. "I don't want to be stuck here my whole life, and I don't have the brains like Lip. There's no way I can get a full ride for any college, so this is the next best thing."

"How is a way out getting your leg blown off in like, I don't fucking know, fucking Pakistan or wherever."

"You got a better idea?" Mickey was about to say something when Ian interrupted. "Preferably legal."

"You can make it look legal."

"Actually legal."

"Well you're fucking demanding." Mickey rolled his eyes. "From what I know your grades aren't that tanked."

"No, but they're not West Point level either."

"Jesus, you really thought this all through." Mickey nodded absentmindedly.

"Don't tell me you never put any thought into the future?"

"I'll figure it out."

"When?"

"I don't fucking know, when I figure it out."

"Come on, you never once thought about any of it?" Ian turned to face him.

"Don't give me this shit." Mickey looked off into the distance.

"Mandy has thought about it." Ian said. "She wants to get out of here too."

"She should. Nothing here worth staying for."

"She'd feel bad leaving you behind."

"I can take care of myself." Mickey sounded offended, then got up and started pacing around. "You got in in you for another round or do you plan on playing shrink here?"

"Great." Ian rolled his eyes but didn't push it, just got up and went for another round like Mickey suggested.

Yet, when they started their walk back home, Ian kept thinking about it all. He was aware that while he and his siblings actually lived together, the Milkovich siblings were simply surviving Terry together.

"Mandy wants to have a movie night, you should stay." Ian said.

"What movie?"

"Dirty dancing."

"Like fuck." Mickey scowled.

"It's her favourite movie."

"Whatever. I'm not watching that."

"She has watched Mad Max with you how many times?"

"That's different, that's a good fucking movie."

"It's not about if you like the movie or not. You know how many times I've seen a movie I couldn't give less of a shit about, but one of my siblings likes it?"

"That's you and your siblings."

"It wouldn't hurt if you tried being like that with Mandy."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Gallagher." Mickey groaned.

"I get it, alright? With Terry in the house it's every man for themselves. I get that. Believe me Mandy has told me more than you think. But there's no Terry at our house. So just come by tonight, sit through the damn two hours of a movie you don't like, and try to make your sister happy."

"Why the fuck should I? She has you now, you're watching bullshit with her, you're braiding her hair and shit."

"Yeah, and do you have any idea how emotional she gets over some of those things?" Ian stepped in front of him. "I mean she actually cried the first time I helped her with her hair because she doesn't remember somebody doing that since your mom."

"You're getting a little to comfortable." Mickey stepped closer, clearly angry.

"Oh so having my dick up your ass is completely fine but asking you to be nice to your sister is crossing the line?" Ian asked.

Instead of answering, Mickey just walked away while cursing.

The way they parted was the reason Ian was surprised when he actually showed up later in the evening.

Mickey walked through the back door to find Ian and Mandy messing around in the kitchen.

They didn't even realize he had walked in, they just kept going with their thing.

Mandy was holding a bowl of popcorn and trying to dodge Ian's attempts to tickle her.

To Mickey's surprise, she wasn't reacting the same way she would when he or their brothers messed with her.

The reason was obvious, she didn't expect actual pain from Ian. Despite him being taller and stronger than any of her brothers, there wasn't a single part of Mandy that expected or believed he'd actually cause her pain.

Of course, Mickey wouldn't ever actually want to hurt his sister, but he wasn't above hitting or twisting an arm.

Ian managed to get the bowl from Mandy and grab her from behind, then spun her around while she laughed.

Mandy just went limp when Ian picked her up, letting him do whatever he intended to with full trust.

Mickey knew if he picked her up like that, she would've been scratching at his arm or kicking and trashing.

Again, not that he would actually hurt her, but he realized he might've been too rough and too crude with her.

The two only noticed him when they got dizzy and tumbled onto the floor.

"The fuck you doing here?" Mandy asked.

"Where's the popcorn?!" Fiona yelled from the living room.

"I invited him." Ian explained. "Go take the popcorn, I'll get the drinks."

Mandy raised an eyebrow but got up and took the two bowls of snacks to the living room.

Ian went to the fridge and tossed Mickey a beer, giving him that beaming smile of his.

"Fuck you." Mickey flipped him off and followed into the living room.

Everyone but Carl and Laim was there, Carl declared he'd rather be changing Liam's dirty diaper than watching Dirty dancing.

Somehow, the whole thing turned into an impromptu sing-along when Mandy and Ian started singing every song as it played in the movie.

Truly, anyone who didn't know Ian was gay would've bet money that the two of them would end up married.

Since the idea of a Gallagher-Milkovich marriage popped up in his head, Mickey couldn't help but think about it.

When he caught himself quite literally fantasizing about it, though, he quickly decided to drown the idea with alcohol.

Chapter Text

When Ian finally resurfaced after enlisting and then disappearing, to say there was a shit ton of stuff that needed to be talked about, a shit ton of things that needed addressing, a shit ton of things to fight about, would be an understatement.

However, all that could wait at least until the next day. For the time being, Fiona and Lip put their bullshit aside and just wanted to be with Ian.

Liam was already asleep in his crib, and Ian sat awake when Fiona and Lip came in and just made themselves comfortable on his bed, hugging him like a teddy bear. They had half a mind to wonder where Mickey had disappeared to, but then Lip remembered he had rushed out because of something happening at the Alibi.

"What-" Ian started, laughing at the way his two older siblings curled up around him like cats.

"Sush. Just let us have this." Fiona whispered.

"You might be one of the older kids and all, but there was a time when you were the baby." Lip added.

Ian chuckled, wondering how on earth all three of them fit onto his bed. Well, it made sense considering Fiona was curled up completely and Lip's legs hung over Ian's and over the edge, but it was still three people on a twin sized bed.

Despite that, Ian completely melted. He didn't know how much he needed something like that before that moment.

Nobody talked, but there was a silent sort of communication going to. The same kind that happened when hell broke lose, hurricane Monica kind of hell, or Frank's drunken rage kind of hell, and the three oldest siblings just sat in silence in the aftermath.

All three could agree, whatever was going on was indeed that kind of hell, but to their horror, the one at hand wasn't caused by their good for nothing parents, it was a hell of their own making.

Silently, Fiona started scratching Ian's arm the way she used to when they were kids. She used to do it to soothe him when he couldn't fall asleep, and that association seemed to still be instilled in him, since he ended up drifting off to sleep within minutes.

Lip didn't fail to notice the way Fiona hung onto Ian like a lifeline. Her eyes were closed and she kept scratching Ian's arm for as long as she physically could before her hand gave up.

It surprised Lip when she fell asleep too, since despite their fighting he was aware Fiona hadn't slept for days. By the looks of it neither did Ian.

Sleep ended up overtaking him as well, but not long passed before he was startled awake by the door opening. "Debs."

"Is Ian staying home for good?" She asked.

Lip rubbed his eyes, then hissed when he felt a stye forming. "Shit."

"What?"

"Nothing, don't worry." Lip slowly got off the bed, careful not to wake his siblings. "And yes, Ian is staying home. I'll make sure."

Debbie hugged him when he came to the door. "Promise?"

Lip hugged her back and sighed. "Sure. Now go to bed, it's late."

"It's not even eleven." Debbie pointed out. "You just crashed."

"Christ." Lip sighed again. "Thanks for waking me up then, but you go to bed. Where's Carl?"

"Downstairs watching TV."

"Alright, I'll go and get him, you bathroom then bed." Lip patted her shoulder and went downstairs to get Carl, but not before going back into the room and putting a blanket over Fiona and Ian, since they fell asleep on top of the covers.

Just as he came downstairs, Mickey came in through the back door.

"Fiona's with him." Lip informed. "Carl, go to bed."

Mickey came to the doorway between living room and kitchen. "He asleep already? He was like a live wire when I left."

"Out cold." Lip confirmed, watching Carl go up the stairs. "Hey, listen. Thank you for bringing him back. I tried but he wouldn't listen."

"Thought he always listens to you." Mickey pointed out.

"Maybe a year ago that was correct."

Mickey avoided eye contact. "Right. Mandy never listened so at least you got some sixteen years with yours."

"How is Mandy?" Lip couldn't help asking.

"Working at that squirrel waffle place." Mickey said. "Don't know what squirrels and waffles got in common but whatever."

"And she's still seeing that guy?"

"Yeah. Ian saw him for like ten minutes and decided he hates the guy's guts, so you got that in common."

Lip nodded. "About Ian, whatever the hell is going on with him, you seem to be making it better. But I swear to God, Mickey, if he comes home with a busted face again and it turns out to be your old man or you or anyone else from your family, I'll find a way to get all of you in prison for good."

Mickey laughed a little. "Usually I'm the one threatening."

"I'm serious."

"Good." Mickey shrugged.

Fiona came downstairs too, Lip concluded that Carl had woken her up somehow.

"Ian still asleep?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah." Fiona nodded, then shared a look with Lip. It was as it they were telepathically deciding what to tell him next.

"Alright. Go upstairs, he'll probably do better in the morning if he wakes up and you're there." Lip said.

"As if I was going to ask fucking permission." Mickey scoffed and walked past Fiona on the stairs, but then stopped. "Does he usually sleep like the dead or?"

"Please, if you detonated a bomb next to his head he'd just roll over and say he'll be up in five minutes." Fiona said.

Mickey nodded, relieved that nothing was wrong last night. He had gotten up several times to check if Ian was still asleep, and got worried when nothing woke him up the whole morning.

Lip turned off the TV and went into the kitchen, where his textbook already sat open, waiting, but then he looked at the pile of dishes in the sink and the mess of laundry in the corner.

"I'll do it." Fiona said, not the meek tone she had had for the past few days, but her usual, assertive tone.

Without waiting for him to respond she got to loading the laundry, then made a run upstairs to see if there was anything there.

Lip didn't say anything, still going with the silent treatment, but he was glad to not have to do the housework and study in the same night.

While he studied, Fiona silently did the laundry and the dishes, and then she went upstairs again to grab Ian's bag and sort through that. Tossing the laundry into the hamper and putting his other stuff in a small pile on the shelf.

Lip noticed her freeze and looked up to see she had found Ian's camo jacket in there, all shredded up and torn, clearly done with intention and in a rage.

The jacket had been stuffed to the bottom of the bag, buried under everything else.

Fiona and Lip just looked at it, then at each other for a few seconds, both of them unsure what to do with it.

"I'll talk to him." Lip finally said.

Not wanting to disturb the fragile peace the two of them had established for the night, Fiona just nodded and put the torn up jacket back into the bag, then put the bag in the corner.

"Fuck's sake." Lip cursed quietly when he accidentally touched the stye forming on his right eyelid.

"Let me see." Fiona offered.

"It's fine." Lip shook his head but didn't stop her when she stepped closer and held up his face to see in better light.

"I think there's eye drops in the upstairs bathroom." She said.

"Fiona." Lip scoffed but didn't go further, deciding to not argue for that one night. If for no other reason, then just so Ian wouldn't have to deal with their fighting as soon as he was back home. After all, he was always the one trying to keep the peace whenever Fiona and Lip fought.

His absence might've been the reason the current situation had escalated as far as it did in the first place.

Fiona came back, opening the eye drops and stepping behind Lip, since she knew he was never able to do eyedrops on his own. "Head hack."

Without fussing, Lip listened. He didn't say it, but it meant a lot to him that despite everything going on, Fiona remembered he got freaked out about eyedrops or anything like that.

"There." She said and stepped back. "Good night."

Lip didn't respond, but gave her a little nod before she went upstairs.

Sitting there in the kitchen, there was a million problems raging through Lip's head, but he told himself at the very least they had Ian at home again.

When he decided to go to bed, Lip stopped by the door to check on Ian.

Mickey was sat at the foot of the bed, not even noticing Lip standing in the hallway, he was just looking at Ian, at the way he looked so peaceful when he slept.

Chapter Text

Mandy and Svetlana both stood over Ian when he got down under the sink to try and fix it.

"See that?" Svetlana turned to Mickey. "More man than you. He can fix, he can take care of baby. What you do?"

Ian laughed. "Thanks I guess?"

Svetlana nodded.

"Fuck off." Mickey snapped. "You hated him like two months ago."

"Two months ago was different."

"Somebody try the water." Ian said.

Mandy stepped over him to turn on the tap. "Works, it's even a little more clear than before."

"Great." Ian stood up and closed the cabinet under the sink.

Mandy nodded and gave him a rag. "I wash, you dry."

"How you know that?" Svetlana asked.

"Watched my brother, mostly."

"How many brothers and sisters again? Little ones."

"Two brothers, one sister, also one older sister and one older brother."

Svetlana nodded. "Too many show up, I forget, mix them."

"The fuck you quizzing him for?" Mickey asked from the table.

Svetlana turned to him and said something in Russian.

Mickey rolled his eyes with a groan. "Speak fucking English! Nobody understands that gibberish."

"I believe she just called you something along the lines of a lazy dickhead." Ian informed.

"Yup." Mandy confirmed.

"He learn Russian before you too." Svetlana observed. "And stop yelling, you make the baby cry."

"Since when are you two besties?" Mickey asked, sounding more exasperated with their antics than usual.

"Who pissed in your coffee this morning?" Ian asked.

"Dumb and dumber went to see dad." Mandy explained. "And they've both got DUIs so if they get pulled over Mickey has to bail them out."

Svetlana was going through the cabinets and turned to Mandy. "You work today?"

"Day off." She answered. "Why?"

"The asshole?"

"Gone since yesterday."

"So and orange boy watch baby today."

"Sure." Ian agreed.

"The fuck are you doing then?" Mickey asked.

"Appointment."

The phone on the table rung and Mickey picked up expecting to hear one of his brothers, but it turned out to be Kev, asking him to come break up a fight at the Alibi.

"Somebody making scene?" Svetlana looked at him.

"Some dickhead doesn't want to pay." Mickey got up and headed outside.

"Give Svet a ride." Mandy told him, then turned to Svetlana. "We've got Yev."

"Good." Svetlana followed Mickey out.

"You know, if shit didn't happen the way it did I think they'd be best fucking friends." Ian told Mandy.

"Defienely." She agreed. "Wanna go for a walk? I'm sick of this fucking house."

"Sure."

Having had the whole day to themselves, the two of them fell back into their 15 year old selves without even realizing it.

Mickey and Svetlana came home to find the two of them singing and dancing in the living room like kids, with Yevgeny laughing from his crib.

In silent agreement, both of them just stood in the entrance hallway and observed, not moving so they wouldn't be noticed.

The song changed and Mandy gasped, grabbing Ian by the arm. "This is my happy song! Remember it?"

He laughed and recognized the tune. "Yeah."

Mandy grabbed one of the baby toys on the table and used it as a microphone, shoving it in his face.

"Think of all the luck you got, Know that it's not for naught!" Ian started.

Mandy grinned ear to ear and took the toy to sing into. "You were beaming once before, But it's not like that anymore! Count all the moods you've known, Know they're not stuck in stone!"

"You were patient once before, But it's not like that anymore!" Ian went on.

The two of them faced one another and sang at the top of their lungs. "What is this down side, That you speak of, What is this feeling, You're so sure of!!"

They went on and on, for the whole song, making the baby laugh harder and harder with their jumping around.

"Oh, you're back." Mandy finally noticed.

Ian turned around. "Hey."

"Someone had fun." Svetlana observed.

"You two on something?" Mickey asked.

Mandy shook her head. "Not even a beer. Come on, Svet, what's your music?"

"My music?" Svetlana raised her eyebrows.

"Come on, you have to like something."

"The old music, the, the..." Svetlana snapped her fingers, trying to remember the name. "The guy singing Piano man."

"Billy Joel?" Ian asked.

"I think there's a CD of his somewhere there." Mandy pointed towards a shelf.

Ian hopped over the couch to go and check.

"What's this a club?" Mickey scoffed.

"Come on, have some fun." Mandy grabbed Svetlana by the arm and spun her around.

"Here." Ian tossed her the CD.

Mandy unplugged the iPad and put the CD into an old radio. The notes of Uptown Girl started playing, making everyone laugh out loud at the irony.

Deciding to go with it, Mandy and Ian started singing it to Svetlana like it was written just for her.

Mandy really got into it, full on serenading and blowing kisses. "You know I can't afford to buy her pearls. But maybe, someday, when my ship comes in, she'll understand what kind of guy I've been. And then I'll win."

Svetlana laughed and went along too, letting Mandy spin her in circles until she got dizzy and fell onto the couch.

Yevgeny kept laughing from his crib, and when Mandy picked him up and danced around with him he laughed even harder.

Later that night Mickey and Mandy both fell asleep in the living room, both leaning on Ian like he was a body pillow.

"You are special to her." Svetlana observed.

Ian looked down at Mandy, her head in his lap. "She's special to me too."

Chapter Text

Of course Lip was the first person to go and visit Ian. He asked the nurse the very day Ian signed himself in, and promised Ian he'd be there as soon as it was allowed.

"Hey." Lip sighed and pulled Ian into the tightest hug as soon as they were in the same room.

Ian practicality collapsed into the hug, it was his lifeline for those first few days. Again and again he kept telling himself Lip would be there soon, that his big brother would be there and everything would be better.

"Are you okay?" Lip asked, fighting tears. He knew it was a stupid question, knew that's now what you ask someone who had just had a psychotic break, but he just blurted it out.

"Mhm." Ian nodded. He wanted to complain. Say it was cold every night, say how the pills they gave him made his head spin, say he kept dreaming about their childhood bedroom. Instead he just nodded, not wanting Lip to feel even worse.

Lip slowly broke the hung but held onto Ian's shoulders. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, Ian did. It wasn't like he could hide the eyebags if he tried, but he was sure the eye contact and the florescent lights made his face look gaunt and hollow, and the sedatives probably made his eyes lifeless.

"You're not her. You're not Moncia, and you won't ever be like Monica." Lip said firmly. "Okay? Because Monica is a bad fucking person, who just happens to have a diagnosis. Her being bipolar and her being a piece of shit are two different things. You're not like her."

If it wasn't for the countless pills he had swallowed that morning, Ian was sure he would've broken down crying at that.

"I mean that. You're a good person, Ian. Fuck, you're probably the best thing that came from this whole fucked up family."

Ian just gave a slow nod, not trusting himself to speak without sounding ungrateful or bitter.

"And whatever you're thinking about yourself right now, it's wrong. And I know you probably think I'm just saying that because I'm your brother but you're wrong about that too. Okay?"

"Thank you." Ian just said, his voice was scratchy and far more quiet than usual.

For Lip, it was just a huge relief to hear his voice again. "We'll figure it out."

"How?"

"I don't know, but we will. I promise, whatever else happens, we'll figure it out."

Ian just hugged him again, like he wanted to disappear into the embrace, like Lip could somehow protect him from his own mind.

Lip hugged him back with the same wish, angry that he couldn't just make it all go away. Like when they were kids and Ian was scared of the dark, so Lip saved up for weeks to buy him a night light.

Except the current darkness was so much scarier, and there was no night light to chase it away.

"Ian." Lip was barely keeping himself together.

"Yeah?"

"You're not alone. I know it probably feels like that, but you need to know you're not. You've got us, and Mickey, and you've got me. I'm here. Okay? The day you were born was the last day I was ever alone, and it goes for you too. Since you started breathing I was here, okay? And I'm here now."

No amount of sedatives and medication could stop Ian's tears after that. He did feel alone, but somehow Lip managed to convince him he wasn't.

"My baby brother." Lip said softly.

For a second Ian actually felt safe, but the visitation time ended and he was ripped away from Lip when he wouldn't let go.

The nurse leading him back was the only one he could actually tolerate. She was the only one who seemed to have some compassion left in her.

Not that it was the staffs fault, he couldn't blame the nurses for the system that was rotten. Most of them did their best, but that was overshadowed by everything else. Still, it didn't mean there weren't some straight up assholes, like the guy who worked the night shift and seemed to have something personal against Ian. It took a few days before somebody finally filled Ian on the fact that the guy was homophobic as fuck.

Ian also didn't realize how much he despised white walls before ending up there. Naked white walls.

He found himself really missing music, and that reminded him of Mandy, since they mostly listened together. Ian hoped he was alright.

On one hand he missed her terribly, one selfish part of him wished she would come back. On the other hand, he thought it was better that she wasn't there to witness the mess he had turned into.

When he was finally released, finally able to sleep in his own bed, it was the most comforting thing in the world.

"Move your big ass a little." Fiona's voice made him turn around form facing the wall. She just laid down and pulled the cover ober them. "Come here."

Not having the energy nor the wish to argue, Ian hugged her. "I'm..."

"Tired." Fiona finished his sentence when he trailed off. "Just go to sleep, okay? We can deal with the world in the morning. Now just sleep."

The soft reassurance in her voice, along with the familiarity of her hug and the comfort of his own bed in his childhood bedroom, made Ian finally relax.

Mickey came in just as Fiona was leaving the room. "Asleep?"

"Yeah." Fiona nodded with a tired sigh. "One in five."

"What?"

"There was a one in five chance that one of us would get it from Monica. Always thought if it happened it would be Lip or me."

Mickey sighed too. "Fuck's sake."

"He's home now." Fiona seemed to be assuring herself of the fact. "He's home, and he'll be fine, and he'll have his life back on track."

Mickey remembered how Ian used to have it all figured out. The army, a way out. He knew Ian deserved that. Deserved a good life with a nice house. He deserved the world, actually.

Yet that same world decided to fuck him over. It was unfair, but it was the reality they all needed to face.

"He'll manage." Mickey finally said.

Fiona seemed surprised at the optimism. "Yeah."

Without another word, she walked away and let Mickey go to Ian.

Each time Mickey saw Ian sleeping he always thought the same thing, that he looked so serenely peaceful. Like an actual angel.

Chapter Text

After years of no contact, Mandy finally called.

Luckily Ian kept the same phone number all that time. A few days later she was at their door. Clean, sober, and fresh out of a shit show of a relationship after which she decided to get her life together before dating again.

Without her even asking, Ian and Mickey declared she'd stay with them until she got onto her own two feet.

In one night they unloaded years of catching up. Mandy shared she had bounced from relationship to relationship, always ending up with Kenyatta, before finally snapping out of it and deciding to turn her life around.

She learned Ian and Mickey had adopted a pair of siblings, a little girl and her teenage brother. The girl was at a sleepover at the moment, and the older boy went on a walk with the dog.

"Married, west side, two kids and a dog." She smiled. "Dad's turning in his grave."

"Good." Mickey laughed.

"When did you adopt the kids anyway?" Mandy asked, looking at the crayon drawings on the fridge.

"Four years ago. Sidney was barely four and Nathan was twelve." Ian said.

"Fucked family life?"

Mickey nodded. "Mother dead, father tried to kill the kids, he's doing life without parole."

"Damn. And now?"

"They're better. Syd doesn't remember it that well, Nathan sheltered her as much as he could, but he had a bad head injury that ended up in seizures and migraines."

Mandy nodded and looked around. "You sure the kids won't mind me crashing here?"

"They'll love you." Ian assured her. "Besides, they already know about you."

"They do?" Mandy looked between the two of them.

"They asked about my family after they met Ian's siblings but noone on my side." Mickey shrugged.

"What happened to Iggy and Colin?"

"Haven't talked to me in years. Last I heard Iggy doing time, nothing about Colin."

Just then the door opened. "We're home!"

A gray staffie with a service animal vest ran in, followed by a sixteen year old boy who gave it the release command to go and play.

"Hi." Mandy smiled.

"This is Nathan." Mickey stated. "Nathan this is-"

"Mandy." Nathan finished. "You look like twins."

"See?" Ian told Mandy.

"Hey."

"Mandy will be staying here for a while." Ian informed him.

"Cool." The boy nodded and observed as the dog approached Mandy and sniffed her. "That's Bullet."

Mandy smiled and pet the dog, scratching behind it's ears. "Hi, Bullet."

"The crazy HOA lady is at it again, by the way." Nathan informed and sat down with them.

You two are in an HOA?" Mandy asked, wide eyed and laughing.

"Fuck no." Mickey scoffed.

"This house and like two others aren't in it because they were built before, but that doesn't stop them from trying to enforce their bullshit." Ian told her and turned to Nathan. "What does she want now?"

Nathan mimicked a high pitched voice and pinched his face. "That dog is dangerous, blablabla, it's an aggressive breed, blablabla, you don't even need a service animal, blablabla."

Mandy laughed at his imitation. "I like this kid."

"It's your turn to deal with that bitch." Mickey informed Ian, laughing as well.

Ian groaned. "I'll do it in the morning."

"Can't you just like, casually drop some lore to scare her?" Nathan said. "I think she'd leave us alone if you mentioned the prison thing."

"They know about that?" Mandy asked.

"Sydney doesn't." Ian said. "Not yet at least."

They sat there well into the night, Nathan went to sleep around midnight.

When they finally decided it was time for sleep they showed Mandy upstairs. The first two rooms were the children's, with their names written on the door.

"Kids rooms." Ian pointed out the obvious, then pointed at the door across the hall. "Bathroom. Our room's at the end of the hall."

Mickey opened a door in the middle of the hallway. "Spare room."

Mandy stepped in. Of course, just like the rest of the house, the room was a lovely controlled chaos. Mismatched furniture that somehow ended up working perfectly together, with a few boxes in a corner that stored some old clothes or the like. She laughed when she saw the Barbie sheets on the bed.

"Syd insisted." Mickey laughed too.

"They're perfect."

Chapter Text

In the few following days Mandy got settled into the guest room, and the kids liked her pretty much straight away.

"How long is the EMT education?" She asked Ian one morning while he was getting ready for work.

"Weeks to months, depends on the program." Ian answered. "Why?"

"You think I could do it?"

"Sure. Want me to ask about it?" Ian lit up, Mandy had been working at a bar for the time being but was looking for a better job.

"Yeah." She agreed.

"Great, as if you two aren't insufferable already." Mickey remarked. "All that's missing is you working together."

"Jealous." Mandy just said.

"Yeah right."

Nathan came downstairs, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "There's a car outside, some dude's pacing in front of the house."

Ian and Mickey shared a look, Mandy tensed up.

"Stay upstairs." Mickey told Nathan. "Where's Syd?"

"Still asleep." Nathan froze halfway down the stairs, then looked at Mandy. "I don't think it's your guy. I mean he looks scared of his own shadow, and he's white."

Ian went to the window and sighed. "It's Clayton."

"What Frank's brother?" Mickey followed to see for himself.

"Yeah." Ian confirmed. "I'll go see what he wants."

Nathan came the rest of the way down stairs, Bullet following, and went to strategically sit on the couch so he could observe what was going on outside.

"That's like, his biological father, right?" Mandy asked her brother.

"Yeah." Mickey confirmed, the two of them sat close to Nathan too.

Ian stepped outside. "Clayton."

Clayton turned around, startled. "Ian, hello."

"How'd you get my address?"

"I went to the old address, your brother gave me the address."

Ian sighed, making a mental note to chew Carl out the next time they saw each other. "Fine, what do you want?"

Clayton looked disheveled enough that he looked a lot more like Frank than the first time Ian had seen him. "I, uhh. I have been thinking about everything. I don't know. Guess I just wanted to talk."

Having seen Frank drunk and hung over one too many times, Ian recognized that Clayton was very much hung over.

When Ian didn't respond Clayton started looking around uncomfortably, then he noticed four bikes piled up in a corner, he focused on the purple one. "You've got kids?"

"Clayton." Ian sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want to know you."

"Look, it's nothing personal, really, but I don't want to know you."

"I can't imagine Frank and Monica did an awfully good job as as parents." Clayton frowned.

"They didn't." Ian confirmed. "Fraudulent enlistment, dishonorable discharge, psych ward stay, a stint in prison. None of that ever had anything to do with you, though, so why are you here?"

"I know you're guarded, I can only imagine your reasons, but I can't just go on living knowing I have a son out there that I never developed a relationship with."

"I don't want a relationship with you."

"Don't your kids deserve a grandparent on your side? I mean I am their grandfather, I failed you but maybe I don't have to fail them."

"My kids are adopted."

"Oh. Is your wife-"

"Husband." Ian corrected.

"What?"

"Husband, not wife."

The expression on Clayton's face soured.

"There." Ian said victoriously. "Great, you're homophobic, I'm gay, now you can leave me alone."

"I'm not homophobic." Clayton said. "Just surprised. That's all. Why do you want to push me away so badly?"

"Because I don't need you and I don't want you in my life." Ian scoffed. "Look, I'm sorry my brother and I even went snooping in the first place. Honestly it would've been better if we just left it alone."

"I don't agree."

"Whatever." Ian said. "Frank was a piece of shit. A drunk and a narcissist who stole from his own kids and took it as his parental right and duty to deck me in the face whenever I reminded him too much of Monica. My piece of shit, drunk, narcissist father. But still my father, even if he was horrible at it."

"You love your siblings, yes? What about my kids then? They're your siblings too." Clayton tried.

"I don't know your kids."

"You could."

"I don't want to."

Clayton gave a defeated sigh. "I'm dying, Ian."

"So you're here instead of in a hospital? Or with your wife and kids?"

"Kidney failure. There's no match in my family-"

Ian held up a hand. "What the fuck?"

Having heard the whole thing, Mickey came outside too. "Did I hear that right?"

"Ah." Clayton half smiled. "You must be-"

"The husband, yeah. Get fucking lost." Mickey snapped at him.

"Let's just go inside." Ian rolled his eyes.

"As if a fucking faggot should be allowed to donate anyway." Clayton mumbled angrily.

"There it is." Ian chuckled and closed the door.

Mickey observed from the window and saw Clayton march back to his car and drive off. "That was some fucking nerve."

"He seriously just asked you to donate a kidney?" Mandy laughed in shock.

"He is Frank's brother, clearly." Ian shook his head in disbelief.

Chapter Text

In the next few days the house next to theirs went up on sale, and was bought without anyone ever coming to look at it.

They thought nothing of it, until a call came that same day. It was Svetlana, informing Mickey she was moving back to Chicago.

Her and Mickey had a decent relationship, every few months she'd bring their son over for a week or two, he got along fine with the kids.

Svetlana had inherited her husband's fortune and used it to fund and run women's shelters and set up safe houses.

Sydney was excited to have someone her own age to play with, especially because her and Yevgeny got along very well.

"Can we put up the pool early?" She asked. "So it's all set up when they come."

"Morning." Nathan came downstairs, still in pajamas. "We bringing out the pool early?"

Mickey and Ian shared a look, as if deciding on it then and there.

"Why the fuck not." Mickey concluded.

Mandy laughed and handed Nathan his coffee. "That was the gayest thing I've ever seen."

"You didn't see them on a road trip." Nathan told her.

"Road trips?" Mandy looked at her brother in utter shock.

"What? Fiona lives in fucking Pittsburgh." Mickey said.

"And someone is scared shitless of flying." Ian added.

"No that's a valid fear." Mandy had to defend her brother.

"You too?" Nathan asked.

"Obviously? I mean come on, if only one guy on that plane is meant to go means we're all going down." She explained. "And then we crash land in the middle of some mountains, because of course, and then we resort to cannibalism only to die later anyway."

Mickey gave Ian a look. "Exactly!"

"Whatever." Ian didn't want to start the pointless discussion again.

Sydney pushed her chair back. "I'm done, can I take the Switch?"

"Sure, but not for too long." Ian allowed. "An hour max."

"Hey don't touch my Animal Crossing." Nathan warned.

"Weakling game." Sydney walked off. "I don't play that."

"Pittsburgh. You been to Liberty Avenue?" Mandy sat down.

"Jesus!" Nathan yelled out. "No, no, I do not need the mental image of my dads in a red lights district, no thanks. Discuss it when I'm not here."

"Didn't you say he knows about-"

"Yes! I know that dad worked in a club for a bit. Please, please, please, different topic." Nathan sighed.

Mickey patted the kid's back, laughing. "He found out on accident and traumatized himself."

"Accident?"

"I was eves dropping on dad and Lip, mostly out of boredom, and the conversation went in that direction, and then I learned things that I want to bleach out of my brain." Nathan confessed, slumping his head onto the table. "Anyway, pool setup."

"About that." Ian said. "Tomorrow's gonna be a long shift so we should do it today."

"Sure." Mickey agreed.

Mandy nodded along. "I'll help."

So the three of them finished breakfast and went to set up the pool. With some trial and error the managed to get it up.

"Didn't you do this every summer?" Mickey huffed. "How the fuck is it still a whole workout?"

"Okay first of all it's not the same pool, and second of all I mostly just did whatever Lip told me to do." Ian said and climbed out to go and get the hose.

"I swear to God if you said 'I just did what Lip did' one more time." Mickey groaned.

"How is Lip?" Mandy asked.

Ian was relieved to see she didn't seem to be anxious or uncomfortable when Lip was mentioned. "Good. Pretty sure the next time we see each other he'll tell me he's getting divorced, but it's a good thing, so he's good."

"How is that a good thing?"

"They've been fighting, Frankie's starting to notice. It's been a mess for years." Ian explained.

"Possibly divorcing doesn't mean 'jump him', by the way." Mickey told her.

"Fuck you." Mandy shoved him lightly. "I didn't plan on it."

Sneakily, Ian got the hose started and sprayed both of them when they started bickering. He got in a few good shots before Mandy wrangled the hose from him.

"You fucker!" Mickey ran to tackle him.

Deciding to be a team for once, Mandy turned up the settings and sprayed Ian head to toe while Mickey did his best to hold him in place.

"Since when are you two unionized?" Ian laughed when she finally stopped. "This is waterboarding."

Mickey and Mandy cackled in perfect sync, making Ian absolutely lose it. Finally free of Mickey's hold, he got up and looked down at himself, soaked through.

Mickey stared, very openly and pointedly. The shirt clung to every muscle in Ian's torso just right.

"Some things haven't changed at all." Mandy observed, then she jokingly sprayed Mickey. "Stop ogling my best friend, creep."

"The fact you only noticed that now means the acoustic insulation is fucking amazing." Ian informed her.

"Jesus!" Mandy sprayed both of them. "Still banging like bunnies? You've got kids in the house."

"Yeah that's why their rooms are on the other end of the house." Mickey informed and snatched the hose from her.

"Fucker!" Mandy tried to dodge but Ian appeared behind her and wrapped both arms around hers so she'd get the same treatment he did. "Traitor!"

"You're the one who formed a syndicate." Ian laughed.

"The whole yard is soaking wet and not a single drop in the pool." Nathan said from the stairs. "That's pretty impressive, actually."

Mickey just turned to him, then turned the hose around.

"Fuck!" Nathan laughed, hiding behind the railing. Bullet started biting the water spray like a piranha, running down the stairs to try and plead with Mickey to play with him.

"What's Syd doing?" Ian asked.

"Trying and failing to beat my score in Crash." Nathan came down the stairs. "Hey, uhh, yall are going out tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I invite some friends to the pool? We can watch Syd and all."

"I can handle her." Mandy offered. "You have your friends over, you two go out and Syd and I will have a girls night."

"You sure?" Mickey asked, still playing with the dog.

Mandy nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it."

Chapter Text

In the evening, before they went to their dinner, Mandy decided to play a little dress up and went to meddle in the outfits Mickey and Ian would wear.

Since Ian was the more willing participant of her little stints, she kicked Mickey out in simple pants and a button up, telling him to go and put on some perfume or something while she worked.

"Let's see." She sat Ian down on the bed and started going through the closet. "What are we going for?"

"This was your idea." Ian reminded. "I'm just waiting premission to get dressed."

"Sush. You're wearing all black. This." Mandy handed him a pair of black pants.

Ian rolled his eyes but put on the pants. "Simple enough so far."

"Let me work."

"Yes ma'am."

"Aha!" Mandy said victoriously and pulled out a black turtleneck. "This."

Ian just laughed and put it on as well. It was just in that sweet spot where it showed off his physique without being too tight.

"Lovely." Mandy held up two belts, weighing which one would fit better.

"They're almost identical."

"Don't even start."

"It's a black leather belt."

"One is skinnier."

"Jesus."

"This one." Mandy handed him the bulkier belt, it was thicker but had a more simple buckle.

"Are we done?"

Mandy stepped back to admire her work, then stepped closer to roll up the sleeves of the shirt a little bit to show off Ian's forearms. "Got another watch?"

"Just the old one."

"Then this will have to do."

"So we're done?"

"Just a second." Mandy put her hands on his shoulders in order to make him sit down, then she played around with his hair to mess it up a little. "There."

Ian looked in the mirror, pretty pleased with what he saw.

"Go and get them tiger." Mandy joked.

Downstairs, Mickey want talking to Nathan and one friend of his that came early.

"Hey Mr Galla-" The friend, Justin, started.

Nathan just slapped a hand over his mouth. "Stay the fuck away from my dad, dude."

Mandy laughed out loud at the visible disappointment on the kid's face.

"That's a new face." Justin smiled. "Hi, I'm Justin."

"And that's my aunt, stay the fuck away from her too." Nathan introduced and laughed, it was mostly a running gag. The first time he had brought friends over they all kept going on and on about how unexpectedly hot Ian was, so it became a joke.

Mandy chuckled and looked at Sydney. "Ready to go?"

"Go where?" Mickey asked.

"We'll go and get some snacks, boys if you want something say it now, and then we'll come back here and we'll do some simple facemask, and we'll do our nails, and we'll have a great time, right missy?"

Sydney's eyes sparkled as she went on. "Yeah! Let's go, let's go."

"Have fun." Mandy smiled and took Sydney's hand.

"Girls night!" Sydney grinned.

"Girls night." Mandy confirmed. "Bye."

"See you." Mickey said, observing Ian. "Let's go then."

Ian smirked and went to get the car keys. "Nate, call if something's wrong."

"We'll be fine." Nathan promised. "Go."

"Alright, come on." Mickey took Ian's hand and dragged him towards the door. "We have a reservation and they only waits for 15 minutes before giving the table away."

They were a few minutes late because of a traffic jam, but after trying an alternate route and a lot of Mickey's cursing, they made it in time.

"Half these people shouldn't even be allowed to drive." He grumbled as they walked in.

The hostess stepped in front of them with a smile. "Good evening, do you have a reservation?"

"Gallagher." Ian responded.

While neither of them legally changed their last names when they got married, whenever they made reservations or arrangements, the name they used was Gallagher.

The woman checked her clipboard and nodded. "Follow me, please."

She lead them to a table by the window, not really a view but still a nice spot.

They took the drinks menu and started shuffling through pages as if both of them didn't always order the same drinks anywhere they went.

"Actually." Ian closed his menu. "Let's try some wine. They have the one Fiona said she tried recently."

"Wine?" Mickey looked at him as if his husband had just grown a second head.

"Why not?"

"Fuck it. But I don't understand that whole wine thing. With the smelling and swirling and shit."

Ian laughed. "You think I do? Fiona said it was good, if you don't like it you can always just order beer later."

"Fine."

They ended up liking the wine, not on the basis of any fancy terms, it just tasted good. Soon it became a staple of their date nights, and in no time Mandy picked up on it and started teasing them, just like when they were younger.