The Gallagher house was already loud when they arrived. Music was playing and Fiona was dancing through the house singing along. V dropped the twins into Liam's old playpen and immediately joined her. They disappeared into the kitchen and started making dinner and Kev was left alone in the living room. Alone? No, there was Ian and Mickey sitting on the couch a huge bowl with popcorn on Ian's lap and both of them with a beer in their hands, both without alcohol.
"Hey!" Kev said and slumped into the armchair next to them, "Look Yev who's here. Mickey's here. That's your dad." And with these words Kev handed Yevgeny over to his father who hugged him tightly.
Kev's chest felt warm as he watched the two men caress their son. Sure, he and V had been the ones taking care of him since Svetlana took off but they had immediately agreed when Ian had asked them to let Mickey and him take him. He loved that kid but it wasn't like he wouldn't see him anymore. He would just be two doors down the street and Kev knew Yev was in good hands. His dad hadn't even been able to look at his son at first but now no one could miss the love in Mickey's eyes when he looked at Yevgeny, let alone Ian who had taken him to his heart the second he was born.
"Kev!", V interrupted his thoughts as she yelled at him from across the room and he lifted his head right in time to see the beer bottle flying through the air and catch it.
"Thanks!", he yelled back and then turned to the sound system to put on some of his music. The good shit.
It was already dark outside when he came home but the house was still full of life although it was quiet. He saw Kev, V, Mickey and Ian all laying on the couch and Fiona in the armchair. They were watching "Django Unchained" and Lip smirked at the sight of some of his favorite people in front of him. Fiona was sleeping, her mouth slightly open while Kev, V and Ian barely paid attention to the movie and talked quietly. Lip's eyes stopped on Mickey. His head was resting on Ian's shoulder and his eyes were closed. He looked more relaxed than Lip had ever seen him and on his lap there was something curled up. Someone. He took a closer look. It was Yev. Lip held back a laugh. Holy shit, his brother and Mickey were so fucking domestic. He couldn't help feeling happy for them. These two had gone through an incredible amount of shit and especially Mickey was still going to but in this moment they could just lie here. No hiding, no worrying about Ian's bipolar or Mickey's wheelchair, just being together. A little family among a big one.
"Okay now I just gotta ask him", he heard Ian saying and stepped closer.
"Ask who what?", he said and Kev nearly jumped off the couch as he heard him.
"If Mickey's gonna help us out with the numbers of the bar. According to Ian he's pretty good with this shit", he answered Lip after he had recovered from his shock.
"Wait, you say Mickey's a math nerd? Mickey?"
Ian punched him in the side, "Don't act so fucking surprised. He's gonna do the accounting for Patsy's, the laundromat and the Alibi so shut the fuck up."
"If he says yes", Kev pleaded.
"Should talk to him about all the great ideas we have on our minds since he's such a smartass", Lip teased, earning him another punch from Ian. "Could you at least stop being a dick when Mick's awake?", he asked and Lip wouldn't admit it now but no he wouldn't be a dick to Mickey. Not anytime soon, not with Mickey's given situation. Hell, even he had his limits of acting like a douche bag.
He took one of the chairs from the kitchen and joined the group in the living room. God, it was good to be around these people. Sure, Car and Debbie were missing and fuck he missed Carl, but V and Fiona were best friends again. And there was no Frank being an annoying asshole, no Monica messing all their lives up and no Trevor trying to make Ian something he wasn't. Instead there was Mickey. Someone he had hated for so long and he had never understood why his brother stayed with him. Now he knew better. Mickey had grown in so many ways but he was still the same guy who Ian had fallen in love with. It had taken him a lot of time until he could see the good sides of Mickey. They had always been there but he had only shown these to very few people, mainly Ian.
Kev passed the bowl of chips to him and he grabbed a handful while listening to Kev's story about some new guy who had come to the bar and puked all over the floor. "Guy was a fucking lightweight but thought he owned the world. Couldn't even bring him to clean his own vomit off the floor."
"So you played housemaid?" Lip asked in a taunting voice and Kev flipped him off, "Well not everybody can drink as much as you."
"Yeah because most people aren't alcoholics."
"True" Kev admitted, "but Mickey's not and I bet he could still beat you in a battle."
"Not happening."
"Better not" V said sending a glare at Lip who quickly held up his soda which was absolutely non-alcoholic.
They continued watching a movie while rather listening to Kevin ramble about all the shit he has seen in the bar in the eternity he has been working at the Alibi. "But I must say his coming out", he pointed towards Ian's sleeping boyfriend, "was the best and most shocking thing I've ever seen."
Lip chuckled. Yeah he could imagine that even though he had only been told the story by Ian and not actually been there.
About half an hour later Ian decided it was time for them to go to bed. He carefully picked Yevgeny up so he wouldn't wake him and gave him to Kev. He wished Yev could stay but they had to get things in order with Mickey before they started taking care of a little child. Kev and V said their good byes and left. Lip also stood up waved Ian good night and went upstairs so it was only them and sleeping Fiona.
Okay now he had to get Mickey upstairs. Fiona and him had talked about getting a stair lift but had settled against it. There just wasn't enough room but more importantly Mickey would feel beyond ashamed sitting on a chair that slowly would bring him up and down the stairs. The only other option though was being carried. Something Mickey didn't like either but was way faster than a stair lift and therefore less humiliating.
Ian gently shook Mickey up but he was so tired that he didn't protest when Ian charily pushed his arms under Mickey's body and lifted him into a sitting position. Then he crouched in front of the couch his back facing Mickey. "Put your arms around my neck and hold on" he said and Mickey did it. Now Ian took Mickey's legs in his hands and wrapped them around his waist holding them tightly because Mickey couldn't grip them around Ian himself anymore. He felt his warm breath at the back of his neck as he carried him upstairs. It didn't take much effort for him since he had been working out like half of his life and Mickey was quite short. He was warm against his back and Ian loved the way Mickey held on tightly to him. When they reached the bedroom Lip had ceded to them he carefully laid Mickey down on the bed before he warily pulled off his clothes. Mickey was almost asleep his eyes only half open and he didn't resist Ian's motions at all. After he had brushed his teeth Ian crawled into the bed with Mickey and put his arm around his waist spooning him. God, he had waited for this so long. Sleeping in the same bed with Mickey again, being around him, feeling him.
White had forced him to quit smoking because it was too risky with his paralysis. At first Ian had thought it would never work but since Mickey had barely been able to smoke in prison and not at all in the hospital it actually wasn't that hard for him. And Ian was going to make sure that Mickey didn't get hold of a smoke again. So now he didn't smell like cigarettes anymore. He smelled like Ian's favorite shampoo, a hint of the shot Jack Daniel's he had downed earlier, before Ian was able to stop him, and just Mickey. He smelled like home.
