(Sorry for these boring chapters. But I love slow burns.
I do, however, have some interesting ideas in my head already that will make next chapter more interesting.
So stay tuned.)
Monday. And school. Ian met Mandy outside who jumped up and hugged him hard. They havn't met in almost a week. Ian had missed her. Apparently she had missed him too.
"Hey, you! What've you been up to lately?" She asked.
"Just work and shit, ya know."
"Oh, yeah? Lip told me there's a girl?" She nudged him with her hip in his side.
"What the fuck? He promised he would keep his fucking mouth shut!" Ian shouted and picked up his pace.
Mandy ran after him. "Hey, I'm sorry! I didn't mean... I mean, you can trust me. Cross my heart." She said and put a hand on the left side of her chest.
Ian gritted his teeth, slowed down, but didn't say anything.
"You wanna study at my place today?" Mandy asked. "Or we could just watch something?"
"Sure." Ian answered with a low tone in his voice.
English class. Ian didn't pay much attention at all. He couldn't get Mickey out of his head. Would he be home when Ian and Mandy got there? He didn't know if he would be excited or extremely uncomfortable if he was.
The bell rang and everybody hurried out. Ian were still in his thought so he didn't rush.
"Come on, slow poke!" He heard Mandy call from the door. She noticed he were distant so she nudged him awake. "Thinking about her?" She smiled.
Ian frowned and met her eyes. "You promised not to talk. That also means no fucking questions about it!"
"Alright, alright. Sorry. Didn't know it was that big of a deal."
They arrived at the Milkoviches. At the same time as Mickey.
Shit.
"What are you doing home, shit face?" Mandy gnarled at her brother.
"Fuck you." Mickey said. Then noticed Ian. "Who's this?"
Mandy looked at Ian then at her brother again. "This is Ian, we're study buddies. Why do you care?"
"Don't" Mickey answered and run up the stairs before them and slammed the door in their faces.
"I told you he's a jerk." Mandy whispered to Ian who nodded and swallowed hard.
They didn't study that much really. Mostly played video games and drank some beer.
Mickey were in his room. You could smell the weed coming from there.
Ian didn't know what he should do. He wanted to talk to Mickey, but as far as Mandy knew they had never met and just walking in there to talk to her ass hole brother would seem suspicious.
But he decided it was worth it. He needed to.
"Mandy. Do you think we could get some weed from your brother?"
She laughed. "The hell he would share. But if you wanna try, go ahead. At your own risk."
Ian smiled. That was easy. He stood up and walked to Mickey's room. Two knocks.
"What?!" Mickey yelled from inside.
Ian swallowed. "Ehm, Mandy and I just want to ask you something. Can I come in?"
It went quiet but then a small "yes" reached Ian's ears and he entered, but only after looking at Mandy first, who rolled her eyes.
Ian walked in and closed the door behind him.
"Hey." He said quietly.
Mickey sat on his bed, with his back against the wall, an arm behind his head and a joint in his other. He didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry..." Ian began, fidgeting with the zipper on his sweat shirt.
"Yeah, you should be." He raised both eye brows.
"But you just sat there, with the beer. It felt like you were ignoring me."
Ian walked towards the bed. Mickey blew out some smoke then held out the joint for Ian to take it. He sat down beside Mickey.
"You never gave me a chance to say anything or whatever. You just run out of there." Mickey said.
They looked at each other. Then laughed. When the laughter died Ian moved a bit closer. He wanted to touch Mickey but knew that would be a bit too hasty. So he just sat there, took another inhale from the joint then passed it back to Mickey. They're fingers met and Ian shivered at that small, small touch.
"Hey! Ian! I need you in the game!" Mandy yelled from the living room. Ian took a last glance at Mickey before he stood up and walked out to Mandy.
He had a small smile on his face. Even though the weed probably did some of the work, he and Mickey had actually talked and laughed together. Just for a couple of minutes, but it was enough for Ian to think that maybe, maybe they could get to know each other better. Soon.
Ian are having a study session again, the next day. Where they promised themselfs they actually would try to study, not play games. But that's interrupted when Mickey comes home.
"I'm just..." Ian looks at Mandy and points his thumb to Mickey's room.
"No, Ian! How are we supposed to study when you're high with my ass hole of a brother?" Mandy sighs.
"It's alright Mands, I'll manage. Be right back." He smiles as he knocks at the door.
Mickey yells a "Yeah" and Ian entres.
"Hey, d'you have some smoking left?" Ian asks carefully. Mickey nods, scoops over so Ian can sit beside him on the bed.
They're smoking in silence. Just staring in front of them. But Ian can't handle it for much longer. He stretches out his arm and carefully strokes Mickey's hair, slow and soft.
Of course, Mickey pulls away as fast as possible and gives Ian that poisonous look he gave him the first time they met. "The fuck do you think you're doing?"
Silence. Then Mickey raises his hand and Ian closes his eyes and is prepared for the hit. But instead he feel the hand holding his cheek, he opens his eyes and sees Mickey leaning in closer until Ian can feel his breath against his ear. And a soft whisper exits Mickeys mouth.
"If you ever, ever, do that again, I will fucking kill you!" He points at the door. "Out." Ian complies and hurries out.
He doesn't stop he's talking fast steps towards the front door and leaves before he can hear Mandy finish her sentence. "Ian, where are you goi..."
Ian just slams the door and begins to run, but he can't run that far, breathing in the freezing cold air gives him a head ache.
When he gets home he goes straight to bed.
Lip's is lying on his own bed, reading, but he can both see and feel Ian's anger as he storms in.
"The girl?" Lip asks and slips down from his bed and joins Ian who sits with his head in his face. And Ian knows that by this stage he can't avoid his brothers questions for much longer, so he nods.
Lip puts a hand on his shoulder and says, softly, "Did you tell her how you feel?" Ian wipes his teary eyes with his palms and with a big lump in his throat he answers.
"Sort of..."
Lip gets exited. "Tell me! Maybe I can talk to her or whatever..."
Ian twists his head to his brother. "No, you can't! I told you it's complicated. Or it's more than complicated. It's just never gonna happen. He hates m..." He quickly shuts his mouth. Then tries to correct his mistake, but it's too late. Lip's jaw drops and his brows raises to a supernatural height.
"Sorry? Did you just said 'He'?" Ian just looks at him. "Shit." Lip continues. "You're fucking gay?" Ian hushes his brother and stares right in his eyes, he sounds like he's threatening his brother.
"Yeah, so come on. Mock me. Make all of your fucking gay jokes, I don't care. As long as you don't tell anyone. If you do? I will cut off your fucking cut while you sleeps."
Lip actually seems threatened for a while but then he pats Ian's shoulder. "It's alright, man. I won't tell anyone. Promise."
Ian believes him and relaxes, leaning back against the wall. He then points at a pack of cigarettes on the desk. Lip takes one and hands the packet to Ian.
"So, you're gonna tell me about him, then?" Lip asks while lightening the cigarette.
Ian shakes his head.
"Can't. First of all I don't think he's gay, second, he will kill me if I even mentions his name."
"Do I know him?" Ian shakes his head again. Lip's beginning to get on his nerves.
"Someone at school?"
Ian shakes his head again. There's silence for a couple of seconds. Then:
"Someone at the gym?"
Ian thinks for a while. Well, Mickey is fit. He probably goes to a gym, only not to Ians', so technically he won't be lying.
"Yeah." He says.
"So you're like hanging out afterwards?" Lip asks and Ian feel confused.
"No. Not hanging out. We barely talk to each other. Just having a smoke together once in a while."
"But..." Lip begins. "But how do you know his family is fucked up?"
Crap. Ian didn't think of that. Taht he actually had mentioned that. How's he gonna save this?
"I lied, I mean, you wouldn't have stopped with your god damn questions if i didn't say something." He holds his breath. But Lip seems to buy it straight off.
"Fair enough." He says. Ian continues. "so, like I said, he seem to hate me. Even though we havn't socialized very much there's something about him. Can't get him out of my mind." His lips shakes nervously. "But I have no idea how to carry on, how to not scare him away." Lip stands up and pats his shoulder one last time.
"You'll think of something, man." He smiled.
"And you'll shut up about this, asshole! Nothing! Not even to Mandy!"
"Yeah, I'm sorry for talking to her. Really am. But I just wanted to know if it was her. I kinda like her, ya know." Lip says and blushes.
Ian smirks.
"A Gallagher and a Milkovich? Good fucking luck with that, Lip." He chuckles and Lip let's out a short laugh.
"Yeah, I know. Stupid, huh?" He goes back to his bed and leaves Ian thoughtful. Yeah, it really was stupid.