You And Me (Gallavich)

You Make Me Fly

Mickey ran until his thighs burned and calfs felt like they were going to fall off. He stopped, breathing hard as he looked around. He could still feel Maria's slap on his cheek and her piercing voice in his ears. He sunk down on the bleachers of the baseball field he was in. The sun was starting to set. He didn't know how long he sat there, looking off at the sky deep in thought. The air got colder as wind blew, making goosebumps rise on his arms. On auto-pilot his hands pulled a cigarette and lighter from his pockets. His shaky hands held the lighter to the cigarette in his mouth, but the lighter was out of gas. This made Mickey angrier as he threw the piece of shit across the bleachers. "Fuck!"

He heard a low chuckle near him. He turned his head to see some red headed prick sitting a few bleachers up and a few meters away. "Fuck are you laughing at?"

"Need a light?" The kid asked. Mickey recognized him as one of the Gallagher's, the crazy ass family that he didn't fuck around with. They were too happy a family for south siders is what Mickey believed. They were too close and loving. Mickey found himself nodding and watched as Gallagher sat next to him and held his lighter up, lighting the cigarette for Mickey while he still held it in his mouth. Mickey pulled away after inhaling as Gallagher put the lighter back in his pocket.

"You come here often?" Gallagher asked, making conversation. Mickey snorted and puffed angrily.

"Only when red-headed freaks ain't here," Mickey replied smartly making Ian laugh. "Looks like I chose the wrong time."

"Well, the red-headed freak lit your cigarette," Ian laughed. "Why you here?"

"You always ask this many questions, Gallagher?" Mickey snapped, looking the kid in the eye.

Ian shrugged, feeling small under Mickey's stare. "Only when I'm curious. By the way, how did you know I'm a Gallagher?"

"There's so fucking many of you, you guys are kind of hard to miss." Mickey looked back at the empty field. "I used to be friends with your bro Lip back in middle school."

"No shit," Ian said, surprised. "Well, I'm Ian. And you're the dangerous Mickey Milkovich."

"Damn right."

They sat in silence for a while, Ian's leg bouncing up and down nervously while Mickey relieved his nerves through his cigarette. "So," Ian broke the silence. "Why are you here?"

Mickey sighed, tapping the ash off the cigarette. The kid wasn't gonna let it go, that's for sure. He might as well tell him, he looks like a trustworthy kid. Not that Mickey should ever trust anyone, because the last time he did that the person ran away for ten years claiming they were fucking dead. "My, uh. My mom came back."

"Maria Milkovich?" Ian asked. Mickey nodded, running his thumb over his bottom lip nervously. "Never met her. Only heard about her. Thought she was dead?"

"Me too," Mickey admit quietly. He laughed dangerously. "Bitch leaves for ten years saying she was dead, then comes back expecting us to play house like she didn't fucking disappear."

"Shit," Ian said softly. "My mom left too. Except I don't know if she's dead or alive, and I don't really give a fuck."

Mickey snorted. "I hate Maria, I fucking hate her. She's gonna fuck everything up, I know it. I can feel it in me that she's gonna become her old bitchy self again and order us around and ruin everything. It's already fucking bad, the last thing I needed was this and I got it. Fuck this shit."

Ian listened to every word Mickey said. "Other than leaving, what else did she do to you that was so- that was so bad?"

Mickey sat quietly, thinking silently.
"She came back," he exhaled smoke. "That's what else she did."

Ian let out a long breath. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be here right now," Mickey snapped. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and flicked his cigarette away. "Gotta find a place to stay for the night. Ain't no way I'm going back there to that crazy bitch."

"You can stay at mine," Ian said quickly. Mickey raised his eyebrow questionably at the boy's enthusiasm. Ian chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, if you want."

Mickey thought for a second and rubbed his eyes stressfully. "Alright. I'll take the offer."

Ian stood up, holding a hand out for Mickey. Mickey took it appreciatively and stretched as he stood. The two began walking silently, Mickey following Ian to his house. "So," Ian said conversationally yet again, this time in a teasing voice whilst shoving his hands in his pockets. "Does this make us friends?"

Mickey snorted, swiping his thumb across his bottom lip. "Fuck you is what this makes us."

Ian stopped at Kash 'n Grab for some reason, making Mickey furrow his eyebrows and pull on the kid's elbow. "What we doing here?"

"I'm applying for this job," Ian said, hand on the door. "I need the money, like real bad."

"Can this wait until tomorrow?" Mickey moaned tiredly. "I'm fucking beat."

Ian felt the corners of his lips tug upwards at the way Mickey yawned adorably. Shit, imagine the pain if he spoke out loud. "I don't wanna lose the chance, just wait out here if you want."

"In the fucking cold? On my rotting body, Gallagher."

They entered the store, and there's no way Mickey missed the way the man at the cash's eyes widened at the sight of Ian. Clearly, he's had his eyes on Ian for a while. Mickey didn't know why, but this made him... Jealous? Protective? Who knows. He's got too much shit going on in his head right now.

A woman with a head scarf emerged from the back room with a box of fruit. She raised her eyebrows at Mickey and Ian. She was obviously a strong, confident lady. It made Mickey chuckle inwardly at the way he saw the guy at the counter's shoulders tense in fear.

"Hi, my name is Ian Gallagher. I heard about a job opening here," Ian said way too professionally for a job at a grocery store. "I wanted to apply."

"Linda," the woman introduced herself. "Kash," she nudged towards the man at the counter. Mickey snorted loudly, causing all attention to turn on him. Linda raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"He ain't learn how to use his mouth yet or somethin'?" Mickey wondered out loud, proud at the double-entendra.
He smirked when Ian glared at him.

He expected Linda to throw them out or something, make a commotion since her husband looked too pussy to do it, but instead she grinned, almost laughing at Mickey's words. Kash scoffed and marched to the back room. Linda set the box she was holding down, and examined the two. "Alright. You're hired. We need hands here soon as possible. Be here by noon tomorrow."

"Thanks," Ian grinned. Linda wasn't finished, she eyed Mickey as well.

"How about you, huh? We do need some protection around here," She offered, making Mickey raise his eyebrows. He glanced at Gallagher who shrugged, leaving it up to him. Getting this job meant more time with Ian, and as much as Mickey wished that would displease him it only made him more excited. Plus, he got to keep an eye on whatever that Kash pervert would try on Ian. And for higher measures, he's gonna need to money. Win-win? He shrugged carelessly.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Mickey said, turning around. "Can't hold a job for shit though."

They left the store together, both secretly intrigued by whatever was going to come next.