A/N: This is kinda weird because I wrote most of it in the past perfect tense... sorry, but it seemed fitting. I still think it came out okay... Please R all comments appreciated.
The First Noël
It hadn't taken Mickey long to realize that he was utterly whipped... Ian was always able to get Mickey to do things he didn't want to do. Whenever Mickey complained about it, Ian's response was that Mickey did want to do those things, subconsciously, and that was why he would always give in, eventually.
It had taken three years for Ian to convince Mickey that they really were "boyfriend and girlfriend or something". It was nobody's business but theirs, but Mickey liked how Gallagher would smile when he talked to Mandy about "his boyfriend" while Mickey was within earshot.
It had taken a year for Ian to convince Mickey that they should move in together, as far away from Chicago as they could get. They'd been living together in their own apartment for almost six months now. It wasn't much to look at, but it was theirs, and that was all that mattered.
It had taken Ian telling Mickey that he loved him thirty-seven times for Mickey to finally say it back to Ian. Yes, Mickey had kept track.
It had taken five months for Ian to convince Mickey to have "the talk" with Mandy. The badgering had started when they'd moved into the apartment and hadn't stopped until just a few weeks ago, when Mandy had come over for Thanksgiving after a bad break-up and had decided to overstay her welcome. She'd taken up residence in what she thought was Mickey's room but was actually their spare room slash "office" (which was really only a huge walk-in closet with a futon and a side table in it that they kept their laptop on). Mickey had only caved because he'd gotten tired of sleeping on the couch in the living room.
It had taken all of ten seconds for Mandy to recover from the news and punch Mickey in his arm for not telling her sooner. Then she'd hit Gallagher just as hard for keeping such a huge secret from her. Ian had reasoned that it wasn't his secret to tell, and she'd agreed, only to hit Mickey yet again after realizing she'd been an idiot for over four and a half years.
"I want a Christmas tree, Mickey. Nothing big or over-the-top, I promise. Just something to make our home look a bit more festive! You won't have to do anything..." Ian had pleaded just two days after Mickey had come out to his sister. Yet, somehow, Mickey had gone to the dollar store with Ian and Mandy to buy the ornaments and he'd been the one to carry the tree up four flights of stairs to their crappy apartment. The damned tree had taken three hours to decorate.
"This is our first Christmas together, but it's also my first Christmas away from them, Mickey. I just wanna invite Fiona, Debbie, Carl and Liam. It's only four people... Lip's staying at school for Christmas break this year, so you don't have to worry about him saying anything. The others just think we're friends... Please? I miss them and I want to be with all of my family this year... you and them, together." Nevermind the fact that they only had three chairs for their kitchen table and that the single sofa they owned could only fit another three people, squished together. Nevermind the fact that neither of them knew how to cook anything, let alone afford to buy a turkey. Nevermind the fact that Fiona still didn't like that Ian was "roommates" with a Milkovich. Despite all of those things, the Gallaghers were coming over for Christmas dinner. It had only taken a week of pestering and begging for Mickey to say okay.
Mickey had worked two extra shifts to pay for the groceries they needed to make a complete Christmas dinner. The meal was absolute shit, but the Gallaghers ate every crumb with a smile. It had taken them two days to figure out how to cook by googling stupid shit like "how to make mashed potatoes" and "how long does a turkey take to cook in the oven?" in order to make the dinner, even with all of Mandy's help.
"Oh shit! I forgot all about dessert," Ian had said once they'd finished eating. It was understandable, considering the fact that they'd been so preoccupied with all the other crap they needed to cook for the main meal. "I'll go get a pie or something from the supermarket."
It had only taken a minute for Mickey to offer to go instead. "Nah, you stay and enjoy the time you've got with your family," Mickey had said. He'd quickly put on his heavy coat, scarf and boots. "I'll be right back, babe," he'd said to Ian as he'd walked out the door, not looking back.
It had taken him twenty minutes to walk to the store and back while the wind blew flurries of snow all around him. When he'd returned, all of the Gallaghers had stared at him as if he'd grown an extra head. "The fuck you all lookin' at?" he'd demanded.
"Are you dating my brother?" Debbie had asked him incredulously.
Mickey's jaw had fallen.
It had taken them almost five years to get to this point in their relationship. It had taken almost five years before they could share their first Christmas together, in their own home, surrounded by family... but in the end, it had been Mickey's little slip-up, subconscious or not, that had led to this moment.
"Yeah, I am," Mickey said with a smile.