Bloody Knuckles • Gallavich

Crossfire

"Okay," Carl says. Him and Ian were team captains and they were picking their teams for laser tag. Fiona had once dated the guy working there and had been able to rent out the whole room for a whole hour for a fair price. "I'm the captain for my team!" It was Carl, Lip and Debbie against Ian, Mickey and Mandy.

Ian and the two Milkovichs stood on the opposite side as the rest of them. "I feel so fucking gay in this shit," Mickey mumbles, fidgeting with the vest they had to wear. Ian laughs.

"It looks fine. Here." He turns Mickey around and adjusts the vest so that it was looser against his body. As he played around with the straps, his finger tips brushed against Mickey's sides, causing the boy to blush. "Better?"

Mickey nods. "Um, Yeah. Thanks," he says, looking down at his shoes. Soon enough the lights switch off and are replaced with bright neon red ones that decorate the whole room. Small boxes and structures were scattered around the room along with small hide aways.

"Three.... two.... one... start!" A voice says over the intercom. Mickey grins and squats down behind the building in front of them as Mandy and Ian run off together. He peeks his head up and looks out the window, pointing his gun. When he doesn't see anyone he slowly makes his way around the side of the structure and ducks down behind a large block. He then sees someone in a blue vest dart across the open and duck behind a structure just a few feet in front of him. Mickey grins and aims his gun. As soon as the person stands up, he shoots and Lip's vest lights up. "Fuck," he hears him mumble before running off to hide again.

"Nice shot," Ian whispers, coming over to duck down next to Mickey. The two of them kneeled side by side, their sides pressed together in order to fit behind the small area. Mickey found it strange that Ian would come over by him because it was easy to tell that the squeeze would be tight. He glances over at Ian. His eyes scanned over the faded freckles and the orange hair that stuck to the boy's forehead. Mickey licked his lips and knocked his tatted knuckles against the side of his nose, forcing himself to look away. His cheeks flushed a soft crimson red when he realized how ridiculous he looked. Here he was, gapping at Ian like he was some treasure. Something that Mickey had been searching for his whole life and had finally found.

There weren't many kids in school who gave Mickey a chance. Most wouldn't even look in his direction but he had himself to blame. Any kid that pissed him off just the slightest he'd beat or yell at.

But Ian was different.

They first time they had met Mickey proceeded to shove him to the ground and hit him. Yet for some reason that same day, Ian Gallagher decided to try to be his friend. At first it annoyed Mickey but only because it was new. It was new and weird for someone to try to talk to him. But Mickey was slowly growing to love it.

His vest lighting up was enough to get him out of his own head. He glances down at the brighter color as Ian pulled on his wrist. "Come on," he whispers. Mickey nods. He stands up and stumbles behind Ian, staring down at Ian's hand the whole time he was dragged along. They duck down behind another building just as Mandy creeps up behind them. "Carl's up there behind that barrel thing," she whispers, pointing. Ian grins and looks up to where she was pointing. Ian aims his gun and fires, hitting Carl in the chest on his vest. Mickey smiles.

"Good one, Gallagher," Mickey says, smiling over at Ian and Ian grins back. Mandy looks between the two. It was weird seeing her brother hang out with her and Ian so much. Before she could barely drag him out of the house, even for a party. But now all she had to do was say Ian would be there and he'd come. It wasn't that she didn't like it. The whole thing was just new.

"Hey!" Mandy whispers loudly, hitting Mickey in the shoulder. "There's Debbie and Lip. You aim for Lip and I got Debbie." Mickey nods. He looks around and once he spots Lip he aims his gun. He squeezes one eye shut and rests his tongue against his bottom lip.