Chapter Text
***One Year Later***
“Alright, alright,” Mickey yells, making his way towards the frantic knocking at his front door. He’s about to bitch a little more but after he yanks the door open to reveal Katie’s panicked face, the words die on his tongue. “Kate?”
“Mickey…I’m sorry…I…” She swallows before her mouth attempts to form words again. Nothing comes out so she knits her brow together, huffing out a sigh. Abandoning speech for a moment, she shifts to pull Cody into view and herds him into the apartment. “I hate to ask…but I have no one else I can leave Cody with right now. And I really need to…if that’s okay…can he stay?”
“Katie, slow the fuck down.” Mickey puts a hand on her shoulder, holding her gaze and nodding. “What’s going on?”
“I dunno…It’s David’s mother…” The air she sucks in through her nose comes across sounding like a sniffle that she’s trying to hold in. “We’ve got an emergency call that she’s unresponsive…had a bad fall at work. Mickey, David and I gotta go. To the hospital. But…I can’t take him.” She looks in her son’s direction with sad eyes as she watches the boy shift uncomfortably. Cody might be four but he’s keenly observant and he’s feeding off of his mother’s distress. “He doesn’t need to be scared like that.”
“Shit,” Mickey says under his breath. He’s never seen Katie like this. Sure, she’s had moments of worry, but nothing like this. She’s never broken like this and to say it’s unsettling would be an understatement. She’s a strong person, and Mickey’s not sure if hugging her will set her off or make her crumble. He settles on exchanging an understanding look of friendship. “Of course. Of course he can stay.” Mickey switches his body language over towards something less rigid and turns to face Cody. “Hey little man. You want to hang out with Kayla and me for lunch?”
At the mention of Mikayla, Cody’s face brightens and he breaks into a smile. “Princess?” he asks, neck craning to search for signs of Ian and Mickey’s little girl. It’s endearing to see and Mickey’s heart trips over a beat.
“Kayla,” Mickey directs his call towards the center of the apartment. “Come say hello to Cody.”
The response to that news is immediate. Mikayla toddles her way towards her father’s voice, chubby legs moving with uneven but determined stomps. Though Ian and Mickey don’t usually go in for that type of stuff, sometimes Mikayla’s wardrobe is sprinkled with all things sparkly and frilly. It’s unavoidable, being that Mikayla looks adorable in them. Today, she’s barefoot, dressed in a ridiculous pink onesie with ruffles on the butt that make her look extra girlie. She’s got her dark red hair pulled on top of her head in such a way that it fans out in a bouncy waterfall of wisps. Her wide blue eyes search for Cody, widening further when they finally locate him. “Dee!” She squeals and runs full force at Cody, hugging him with every ounce of strength she has.
“Princess!” Cody says again, this time with more exuberance. He hugs her back and grabs her hand like he always does.
“Blocks, Dee!” Mikayla says, her words more of an order than a declaration. At the moment, Mikayla seems to be going through a building phase. She’s always stacking things, making towers so she can topple them over with delight. Maybe she gets it from Ian, but Mikayla can’t seem to get enough of working with her wooden blocks. “Dee!” She insists, trying to get Cody to react. Everyone has given up trying to get her to pronounce Cody’s name, seeing that she’s pretty settled on “Dee” and Cody doesn’t seem to mind.
Looking back at Katie, Mickey nods. “Go. He’ll be fine.”
Katie returns his nod gratefully, sucking in her lips. She gets down on one knee and pulls Cody in for a hug. “You be a good boy for Uncle Mickey and Uncle Ian. Okay?” Ruffling her son’s hair, she squeezes him tightly and kisses his cheek. It’s over quickly, like she can’t linger there or else risk never leaving at all. Pressing forward on the balls of her feet, she kisses Mickey on the cheek, gives him a quick but heartfelt “Thanks” and dashes away.
Shaking his head at her retreating form, Mickey quirks his lips. He knows Katie will be okay but he still feels a twist of worry in his gut. A snort leaves his mouth at the obvious evidence that Katie and he have become close. He’s never had a friend like her, but she gets him. She fits into their lives and makes perfect sense. It’s Cody who made it abundantly clear. In all of his innocence, he picked up on so much more than all the adults involved. He just opened his mouth one day and called him “Uncle Mick.” Mickey supposes it’s because they’ve all been becoming increasingly closer: he, Ian, Katie and David. In part, it’s because Ian’s been so busy opening his own storefront with Jason. Jason’s been helping them but Ian and Mickey have spent great portions of their days putting in a hard day’s work establishing their store and getting it closer to being fully operational. I was David who volunteered to watch Mikayla for them, since he’s home with Cody more often than not. The decision to go along with David's plan was a no brainer for Mickey and Ian. They needed childcare yet they trust no one with their daughter. No one except Katie and David.
It’s been working out great. Mikayla loves going over to Katie and David’s place almost as much as she loves playing with Cody. Of course, Mickey and Ian fell into returning the favor. Cody’s spent his fair share of time at Ian and Mickey’s apartment. Their arrangement has been going on so long that they’re not counting favors any longer, it’s just something friends do. Mickey knows their schedules are getting hectic as time ticks closer to the storefront actually opening but they’re making it work.
It’s been a team effort all around. Jason’s signed on as a business partner and he’s annoyingly become Ian’s partner in crime. But Mickey doesn’t really mean that. It’s all a charade and he’s fooling no one. As much as Mickey likes to gripe about that, he likes Jason. He can’t, however, resist the underlying urge to give Jason a hard time. It’s become their thing. He and Jason throw verbal punches at each other all day long but underneath them all is respect and a genuine friendship. He’s glad that Jason’s around, that’s he’s friends with Ian. He’s enjoyed downtime with Jason and Naomi and he’s happy they’ve been comfortable enough to make themselves at home in each other’s houses. He’s glad that Jayda and Mikayla are close in age and they get along so well. Of course, the hand-me-downs are a nice perk too.
For his own mental satisfaction, Mickey’s been taking on a few odd jobs, wrangling electricity and making some honest money on his own. He’s also been working for Ian, wiring the showcases and curios that Ian designs with lighting apparatuses. But the store is Ian’s brainchild and Mickey and Ian have learned a long time ago that working together helps even them out but they still need to explore parts of the world on their own. So sometimes, like today, Ian’s furiously creating furniture while Mickey stays home with their daughter. And now, apparently Cody as well.
Sinking down into a chair, Mickey watches Cody attempt to teach Mikayla how to strengthen the base of her block tower. It’s a moot point because Mikayla does what she wants anyway, just like the stubborn little cookie she always is. She’s a happy child, and god Mickey is so in love with her. She’s perfect. It doesn’t matter how lame or cliché that sounds because Mickey is absolutely certain that there is no one better than Mikayla. He loves his time spent making a living for his little family, but he loves this too.
He loves watching Mikayla thrive and grow. She’s a force of nature, all personality. She’s his kid, alright, and in more ways than just looks. Sure, she’s got Mickey’s eyes but she’s also got his attitude. And for that reason, Ian’s a goner. Ian’s head over heels in love with her, wrapped so tightly around Mikayla’s fingers that she can manipulate him in her sleep. Mikayla is a mini-Mickey, even with her red hair and Ian’s nose. And Mickey sure as hell loves being her dad.
Mickey never imagined he would love this so much but somehow he found a balance his life and everything feels righted. His rhythm, the underlying thrum of his life, is strong and sturdy. Whatever felt uncertain in his and Ian’s life before Mikayla was born doesn’t feel that way anymore. They’re better than they were before and Mickey thinks Mikayla needs a little credit for that. From the moment Mickey held a positive pregnancy test in his hands, their kid has been resilient enough to assert her place in this world. And when Mickey caught her with those same two hands, the newborn managed to ground them. Through all the chaos, they found ways to root.
That’s all Mikayla’s doing.
And maybe a little bit of Mickey’s doing, since he grew her. He’s not letting Ian forget that.
But it wasn’t all bad. He won’t say it out loud, but it wasn’t all that bad.
Watching Mikayla play with Cody, he smiles. They’re pretty sweet together. Cody’s always been like that with her, and it’s amazed Mickey that a four year old could be so understanding of a fifteen month old.
“Tata!” Mikayla says, facing Mickey while holding a block triumphantly in the air. Mickey doesn’t care that she hasn’t nailed saying “Tato” yet because her version is adorable. It’s like she’s saying “Ta-dah” like she thinks Mickey is as amazing as he believes his daughter to be.
“I see baby girl,” Mickey replies, making a gesture with his chin to encourage her playing.
He let them play peacefully until he notices that time is creeping past Mikayla’s lunch time. “Alright, pip-squeaks. Lunch time. Wanna help?”
“Yes!” Mikayla asserts, drawing out the “s” sound so that it lisped. Abandoning her blocks, and tripping once in her excitement to toddle towards her father, she makes her way to Mickey. Since the moment Mikayla figured out a way to be mobile, she’s made a habit of following Ian and Mickey around the house, certain to make sure all the attention is on her.
Cody follows suit, going up to Mickey and reaching a hand up, expectantly waiting for an opportunity for it to slip into Mickey’s palm. “Okay, Uncle Mick.”
Mickey’s lips quirk up as he watches the child fall in line beside him. When Cody’s like this, Mickey can see David in the kid. But Katie’s spunk is in there too, he’s seen it himself. He takes Cody’s hand and the little boy smiles happily.
Mikayla watches her father and Cody, furrows her brow and purses her lips together in thought. Being the determined little spitfire that she is, she stomps over to Mickey’s other hand and mirrors Cody’s actions, grabbing onto Mickey thumb and pouting. “Tata!”
“Yeah, Princess. That’s right, I’m your Tato. Don’t worry. That’s not changing any time soon.” He takes the time to give his daughter a wide smile and doesn’t back off until she looking up at him with a toothy grin.
They walk towards the kitchen together and Mickey’s gotta admit, this feels pretty good.
***
Mickey’s head falls back so that Ian’s able to kiss at the pulse point on his neck. “Ngh,” he moans, letting his chin turn to the side and exposing more skin.
“Miss me?” There’s a teasing lilt to Ian’s words as he speaks against the heat Mickey’s radiating.
“Fuck you, you know I did.” A chuckle vibrates in the column of Mickey’s neck. His hips roll, the movement coming with a sigh.
Ian trails kisses to Mickey’s lips, kissing him long and hard. Body weight pressing down on the older man, Ian’s tongue coaxes Mickey into allowing him to work his tongue into the mix. His groin is heavy against Mickey’s, positioned in such a way that he can find friction there. "Missed you too.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” Hands coasting up Ian’s sides, Mickey manages to get one palm flat against the base of Ian’s skull. Ian smells like wood shavings and sweat, both scents combining so that desire unfurls in Mickey’s belly. On its own, the scent isn’t overly sexy, but it’s appealing to Mickey because it’s so undeniably Ian. His heartrate spikes and he pulls Ian flush to his chest, tilting his head so their mouths crash against one another’s.
“Shit,” Ian groans, feeling the intensity in Mickey’s actions. He succumbs to them, melting against Mickey and letting the older man take the lead.
Mickey wasn’t kidding. He did miss Ian. He’s been thinking of having the redhead in bed for half of the day, but not all the thoughts were x-rated. It was about having Ian like this, in a way that only the two of them understand. Cody ended up staying late enough to greet Ian when the man came home to join them for a pizza dinner when he returned from work. Katie had come to retrieve a sleepy Cody after the little boy fell asleep on their couch. Turns out David’s mother is going to need more tests, but she’s responsive at the moment. Ian’s watching Cody tomorrow while David visits his mom and Katie and Mickey deal with work. Ian doesn’t mind and Katie’s appreciative, so it all works out.
But right now, Mickey’s not thinking about that. He’s thinking about the fact that his very naked boyfriend is grinding up against him while making moans that are bordering and filthy. “Ian,” Mickey whines, bucking his hips to draw attention to the area. “Get on with it.”
He doesn’t have to ask Ian twice. Ian’s feeling it tonight and moves so fast that Ian’s head spins. He slides down Mickey’s body until he’s able to force the man’s legs open and up, thus exposing the rim of Mickey’s entrance.
Words die on Mickey’s lips and turn into a throaty moan the second Ian’s tongue licks a stripe over the furl of muscle. Everything is warm and wet and Ian’s gotten so good at this that he’s expertly working Mickey open.
Soaking up every moment, Mickey unravels. Gone is the exhaustion, replaced by a jolt of adrenaline and a stuttering of his heart. “O-oh!” He brushes a hand though his hair, pushing it off his forehead and closes his eyes. “Fuck yeah.” Spreading his legs wider, he arches his head so that he can watch Ian work. It’s unreasonably sexy, sending a rush of blood his dick. Ian eats his ass good and proper and Mickey hates to put an end to this but he knows having Ian’s cock inside him is going to get him exactly where he wants to be. “Come on,” he prods.
Ian pulls away, lips slick with saliva and swollen slightly from his actions. He gives a devilish grin and Mickey wants to kiss that smirk until they both can’t breathe. Getting on his knees, Ian stretches over Mickey’s body so that he can reach into the nightstand’s drawer for a condom.
Nerves bubbling up, Mickey swallows thickly and grabs Ian’s wrist. “I dunno…you wanna maybe not?”
Ian cocks his head in confusion. “Not what?” A thought dawns on him and his eyes widen in shock. “Not use a condom?”
Swallowing again, Mickey nods. “Um, yeah.” A shiver runs down his spine and he thinks maybe this is a stupid idea. He shouldn’t have brought things up like this. But sometimes it’s hard for him and once he’s got an idea in his head, he’s got to jump on it before he spooks himself and backpedals.
“You wanna go without a condom?” Ian repeats, rolling the words around in his mouth to get a feel for it.
“Maybe.” Mickey licks his lips. “I dunno. Yeah.” Sighing, he shifts his body to reaffirm the physical contact he has with Ian. “I’ve been thinking…having another baby…that’s something I’ve been thinking about. Thinking I want that.”
The surprise is easily readable on Ian’s face, but it’s tinted with warmth. The expression shifts into a soft smile and Ian rolls his hips into Mickey’s. “Yeah?”
Mickey knows Ian’s asking because he likes what he’s hearing and he wants to hear it again. It’s not really a question. Ian saying “yeah” like that really means that he wants to hear more. “Yeah. Was thinking Mikayla came out pretty good. Thought maybe we could try again. If you wanna.”
“If I wanna?” Ian says, like he can’t believe Mickey’s even saying that. “Shit, Mick.” Ian’s words dissolve into a possessive growl because the thought tastes good to him and he’s radiating satisfaction over that fact. “Been watching Jayda and Kayla playing at the store. Been thinking the same thing. Wasn’t sure how to bring it up to you.” Ian kisses Mickey’s jaw, his body thrumming with contentment.
Ian’s reaction lets Mickey’s nervousness fade away. He smiles into a kiss against Ian’s lips and rocks their bodies together. This is good. This is working out better than any of the fears he had.
Ian’s breathing goes from ragged from arousal to feathery, like he’s on a cloud. He pulls away, eyes clearly more puppy like than lusty. “Aww, Mick…this is awesome. You and me,” he cuts himself off and smiles, sighing happily. “I mean…she’s so amazing. Another baby? That’s gotta be more of the same. It’s gonna be so great, planning a baby and being aware of it the whole time.”
The sentiment hits a nerve, tapping into a part of Mickey that makes him uncomfortable. Crinkling his nose, Mickey says “if I knew you were going to get all sappy about it, I would have kept my mouth shut. Now are you going to wax poetic about it all night or are you going to get inside me? Because I’d really like to come sometime soon and I’d prefer if I had your dick inside me when I do.” He reaches down to grab Ian’s dick, stroking it enough to ensure it’s aroused.
Ian says nothing, but his actions speak of agreement. Lining up, he locks eyes with Mickey as he slides inside of him. As soon as Ian bottoms out, they’re both gasping from the sheer closeness they’re experiencing. They haven’t gone bare since Mickey was pregnant with Mikayla and the connection they’re sharing does something to Ian. He realizes how deeply he’s seated inside Mickey, and it does something to him. His eyes go soft again, looking at Mickey like he’s think perfect being. Instead of the thorough fucking Mickey’s looking for, Ian’s actions turn sweet and gentle.
Grumbling, Mickey flips them. “What the hell, Gallagher?” Ian looks to dreamy, and while he’s certain they are on the same page, he thinks maybe they’re diving in too fast. That it’s too much too quickly. He pulls off of Ian, straining to reach for a condom himself. “Yeah, fuck this. Forget I said anything.”
Ian doesn’t like that idea. He exerts enough power to catch Mickey off guard when he grabs Mickey’s hips and keeps him in place, maneuvering so that he can line his dick up again. “Don’t you fucking dare, Mick. Not after what you just said.” The words drip with his earnestness and he bucks up, sheathing himself inside Mickey again. Now that he’s back inside, he regain his bearings and sense of control. Ian’s fingers dip into the new cut of Mickey’s hips like he owns the area. Flipping them again so that Mickey’s pinned underneath him, he starts pounding into him. “If you want an orgasm and a baby, I’mma give you both,” Ian growls.
The line is so damn cheesy that Mickey rolls his eyes but in the end, Ian hits the perfect spot and he end up letting the action drag a moan out of him. This is what he wants. He wants Ian moving above him, gyrating and thrusting, panting as he works for each and every moan that leaves Mickey’s mouth. He has no idea what possesses him but Ian’s enthusiasm is contagious and Mickey succumbs to it. “Yeah I want that. You gonna do it, tough guy?” It’s a blatant challenge and Mickey knows it. It’s why he said it.
It creates a domino effect and Ian picks up the pace. Their movements are simultaneously rough and gentle. Each grunt of air leads to another and it’s a chain reaction. Mickey can feel it boiling over and he knows he’s a goner when Ian’s hand wraps around his dick pumps it in time with the way he’s pistoning his hips. As much as he knows what’s about to happen, his orgasm takes Mickey by surprise. His eyes widen instead of squeeze shut and he locks his gaze with Ian’s as he comes between their bellies.
It’s permission for Ian to let himself go. He hikes one of Mickey’s legs up so that it’s wrapped snugly around Ian’s back, trapping the younger man there. Then he joins Mickey in orgasm, slamming in as deep as he can get before he coats Mickey’s inside with pulses of come. Their eye contact doesn’t waver. They’re breathing together because they’re synched up. They can’t move other than holding onto each other and shifting just a fraction of an inch deeper. Closer. They’re closer than ever in every sense of a world. They’ve been family for a long time, but being a family is new. It’s what they are and nothing is changing that. Ian’s flayed open, giving Mickey everything. Giving and giving. He takes too, but this connection is electric. Mickey can speak electricity and live wires. Ian’s coming inside him and fucking smiling about it. A smile that makes Mickey know everything is going to be okay.
And shit. After all these years together, Ian’s still finding ways to surprise him.
He’s something else.
They’re something else.
And hopefully they’re going to be something more.