Chapter 9
(Mickey POV)
Mickey was at the bar when he got a phone call from Mrs. Lombardi. Opening his cellphone, he saw that it was almost 2 in the morning. He put the phone nervously to his ear.
"Michael dear, are you there?" Her voice was straining and he could tell she was shouting to be heard.
"Yes Mrs. Lombardi. What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing dear..." she said. "It's just that the music upstairs is a bit loud and I'm having trouble sleeping. I tried knocking on the door but there was no answer. I hope Amanda is alright."
"I'm sorry about the noise, Mrs. Lombardi. I'm sure she's fine. I'm leavin' work now and I'll make sure to kick her ass for causing you so much trouble."
"Michael! Watch your language!" Mrs. Lombardi exclaimed.
"Sorry..." he muttered as he closed the phone. Turning to Brian, he asked, "Mind finishing up without me? Looks like Mandy is finally acting like a teenager." Brian shrugged.
Mickey rushed home because it was fucking freezing out. He practically ran the few blocks to the apartment. He could hear the music from outside. Shit. Do we even have a stereo? Walking in through the door, Mickey had to bite his lip to keep himself composed. Mandy and Sara were in the kitchen together, dancing together in just their underwear. They were all over each other.
"What the fuck is going on?" Mickey shouted. Finding the source of the music, he pulled the CD player off the kitchen counter, pulling the plug out from the socket and effectively killing the music.
"What the hell, Mickey! We're just celebrating the start of winter break!" Mandy explained.
Mickey could see both girls were sweating. "Are you on something?" He was shocked at his sister. Sara stood next to Mandy, arms entwined, and pressed her body up against the other girl. She gave Mickey a naughty grin, revealing a pill on the tip of her tongue just before she swallowed it.
Mickey didn't even have time to react, because at that moment, he heard a flush from the bathroom, and out walked Ian Gallagher. "What happened to the music?" Gallagher asked as he rejoined the girls.
Mickey had no words. He turned around and retreated to his room, slamming the door behind him. He was only partially aware of the fact that the CD player was still in his hand.
The next morning, it was the noise from the kitchen that woke him up. Walking through the hallway towards the room at the end, he slowly passed by Mandy's room and peered in. The door was half open and he could see Gallagher and Sara asleep on Mandy's bed. They were still in only their underwear and one of Sara's arms was draped across the redhead, whose bare chest gently rose and fell with each slow breath.
Entering the kitchen, he saw Mandy busily cooking breakfast. The noise that awoke him must have been the clatter of the pans on the stove top. Mandy turned to face him as she heard him walk into the room. She clearly saw the anger on his face but started rambling before he had a chance to open his mouth. "Dad violated his parole and is back in prison. I really missed Ian and I just had to call him. I used a payphone, so don't freak out. He's here for Christmas. He'll be gone after New Years. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. And I'm sorry about last night. I already went downstairs and apologized to Mrs. Lombardi." She gave him her best puppy-dog face, but that shit didn't work with him.
Mickey took a deep breath. "Back in prison?"
Mandy nodded. Mickey let out the breath.
"Okay." It felt surreal. Terry was in prison. They were safe for the time being.
"What are you making?" he asked his sister, peering over her shoulder at the contents of the pans on the stove.
"Pancakes. And bacon. You have about 15 minutes." She flipped over a pancake.
Mickey just shrugged and walked to the bathroom. He couldn't think of anything else to do or say. He needed to shave and shower before work.
When he walked back into the kitchen, towel tied around his waist and hair still damp, the three chairs they had in the kitchen were already taken. Gotta do something about that soon. He tried to ignore the hungry stare Sara gave him when she noticed his half-naked body.
Mandy got up and pushed a plate full of food into his hand. He grunted his thanks and leaned against the counter, drenching his pancakes in syrup. His eyes meet Gallagher's for just a second but Mickey quickly glanced away, still nervous about where things stood between them. He subconsciously bit his lower lip before shoving a slice of crispy bacon into his mouth.
"So what's the plan for today?" Sara wonders.
Mickey turns his attention to his breakfast and only halfheartedly listens to the conversation that follows. Mandy and Ian have decided that their tiny apartment needs to be more festive. They plan on buying a small tree and some decorations before Mandy's shift at the diner.
Mickey finished up and put his plate in the dishwasher before getting dressed and heading to work. They met him for lunch after his shift. Mandy eventually left to go get changed into her stereotypical waitress uniform that Mickey never stopped teasing her about. Mickey still hadn't said a word to the redhead, but with his sister gone, the silence was deafening.
"It's Friday. I gotta go sleep before work tonight," he said to Sara, and left them sitting in the booth.
The decorations in the apartment were pathetic. Mickey scowled as he first looked at the tiny tree which was sitting atop a cardboard box covered with a small red blanket, then at the string of lights that wound around the kitchen. Well, it's something...
He had almost finished work that night when Mandy and Ian swung by the bar around closing. Mandy said she wanted to finally introduce Ian to Brian and the rest of the group. Mickey tried his hardest to keep himself busy with cleaning up for the night while the rest of them drank and chatted away. If Brian noticed how much effort Mickey was putting into mopping the floor, he kept his mouth shut. Their friends eventually left as the night night wore on until just the Milkoviches, Ian, Brian and Travis remained. The five of them sat around their regular table. Travis lit up a joint which he proceeded to pass around after taking his own hit. If Mickey hadn't been so wary of how things stood with him and Gallagher, he'd probably have enjoyed the evening a bit more.
He grimaced as Brian told Ian about the night they all went to Rocky Horror. Ian almost spit out his beer when Mandy described Mickey getting a big "fuck you" from the audience.
"Mickey Milkovich went to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show?" Ian ask incredulously. "And nobody was taken out in a body bag?"
Mandy elbowed Ian roughly and told him to have more faith in her brother. Mickey could feel himself starting to turn red and he was sure that his blush was obvious on his pale skin. "Yeah, well, Tim Curry was funny in the movie Clue. And remember he was the hotel manager in Home Alone 2? Now whenever I see him, I'm gonna imagine him in fucking drag. Can we please talk about something else?" he pleaded to nobody in particular. He pulled out another cigarette from the pack in his pocket.
Ian drained his glass and got up to pour himself some more beer, but the tap sputtered and was obviously empty. Mickey grunted and said he would go connect a new keg. He lazily walked downstairs to the storage room. The space in the small basement wasn't much of a space at all. The walls were lined with shelves stocked with liquor and specialty drinks. There was a conveyer belt that went up to the street level, opening onto the alley behind the bar for deliveries. There were also two freezers full of ice, and a fridge for garnishes. Mickey walked over to the pile of kegs and was about to lift one over his shoulder when he felt someone standing behind him. Micky tensed and slowly turned around. He saw that Gallagher had followed him down and scowled at the boy.
Ian was the first to break the silence. "Listen, Mick. I don't care what happened before. You were pissed and were trying to protect your sister. I get it. I'm not angry. I'm only here for a week and I don't want it to be weird between us. We were friends before that crap happened anyway, right?" and he stuck his hand out to Mickey like they were making a deal or some shit. Mickey looked at Ian's outstretched hand dubiously and then looked back up at Ian's face, seeing the hopeful expression there. Mickey didn't say anything. He just took a puff from his cigarette and walked past Gallagher to go back upstairs. "Hey! What about the beer?" Gallagher shouted.
"Don't be a spoiled brat; just drink whatever else is on tap!" Mickey yelled back. He felt relieved that Gallagher wasn't holding a grudge, and hoped his last comment would let Ian know that he agreed with him. Mickey also wanted things to go back to normal... back to what it had been like before the pregnancy.
They all woke up pretty late the next morning. Mickey didn't know how his sister turned into such a morning person. It was so un-Milkovich of her. Walking into Mickey's room with a cup of coffee, she happily sat on his bed and shoved it into his hand. "We're going sightseeing today, and you're coming with us," she stated. It wasn't a question.
"Mandy... what the hell..." It was too early for this shit.
"Ian's never been to NYC before. Do you realize that we have been living half an hour away from the city for over five months now and we've only gone to Manhattan two times? And both were at night!" As if reading his mind, Mandy insisted, "I won't take no for an answer. You're coming and that's that. Dress warm. I think it might snow today."
They all bought unlimited daily MetroCards because Sara said it would be the best value. Apparently they had a lot of ground to cover. Sara looked very happy that Mickey was coming along but he ignored her as usual. They took the 7 train all the way to its last stop, so Times Square was their first destination. They sat on the red steps near the "tkts" booth and took pictures, then got themselves projected onto the Forever21 big-screen. They spent almost an hour playing video game demos in the Toys 'R' Us, but refused to cough up the $7 each to ride the Ferris wheel.
Then they walked downtown a few blocks to the Macy's at Herald Square. The whole fucking store was decorated for Christmas. They went window shopping to see the Christmas displays, which Mickey thought was a fucking waste of time, and he didn't hesitate to let the others know by constantly complaining. They saw a street vendor selling hats and gloves. Sara bought herself a fuzzy pink scarf that was absolutely not her style, causing Mandy to tease her the rest of the day. She claimed it was warm and that was all that mattered. Mickey was tempted to buy a scarf he was eying too, but changed his mind at the last second. He didn't know what else was planned for the day and didn't want to go overboard.
They hopped on the R train and took it uptown to Central Park. Sara said she was taking them ice-skating at Wollman Rink, because even though it was expensive, it wasn't as much as it would cost in Rockefeller Center, and the line was usually a lot shorter. It came to $24 each, including the skate rental, but it was well worth it. Mickey was actually decent at skating. He used to go with his brothers to play hockey when they were younger. Ian and Mandy were acting like a couple again, so Sara grabbed his hand and got him to skate the laps with her. He supposed it was better than being alone.
They must have been skating for almost two hours. Mickey's knees felt like they were going to give out. They returned their skates and walked around Central Park a bit. They bought hot dogs and roasted peanuts from a small food cart and sat on a bench to take a break. It was getting dark.
They walked about 10 minutes downtown to Rockefeller Center. Mickey had heard people talk about the tree before but seeing it in person was a whole different fucking story. He'd never seen one so big. Mandy had her elbows locked with Ian and the grins on both their faces were huge; Micky could see how happy they were and it was infectious. They took a shitload of pictures everywhere they went, but the most were taken in front of that tree. It was only at night that it started snowing. The snowflakes that fell weren't the inconvenient kind—they were the kind that looked like glitter, that didn't actually stick on the ground. The last thing they did in the city before going home was buy some hot chocolate, because Sara said it would complete the experience.
It was a pain in the ass having to go to work that night, but he figured he'd catch up on sleep the next morning. He usually did on Sundays anyway. True to form, he collapsed into his bed just after 2am that night, and didn't wake up until the next afternoon.
With only a day left before Christmas Eve, Mickey was a bit nervous. He had no idea what gifts to buy. Mandy had already left for work, so when Gallagher told him he'd decided to spend the afternoon with Mickey and suggested going to the mall, Mickey couldn't help but grin. They made a plan during the subway ride, knowing the mall would be hectic this time of the year. Mickey bought a TV for Mandy from Best Buy, since the girl hadn't stopped complaining about needing one since they had gotten the apartment back in July. He was thankful they offered overnight shipping for free so he wouldn't have to carry the thing around with him all day at the mall.
"I figure I can get Brian a bottle of Jack, but I have no idea what to fucking get Sara. Any suggestions?" he asked.
"Are you two dating?"
Mickey snorted. "Nah. I just know she will be pissed if I don't get her anything." He left out the part about them hooking up.
Ian smiled. "Oh, okay."
"And you? You and my sister looked like you might be getting back together, the way you were holding hands all day yesterday..."
Ian looked momentarily confused. "What? No, she likes Brian. We just missed each other... that's all." The smile returned to his face then, and he tentatively asked, "So, are you getting me something?"
Mickey stopped walking and looked at Ian. He could see the boy blushing, cheeks turning as red as his hair. He grinned widely at Mickey. "Why, Firecrotch? Did you get me something?"
"Maybe."
Mickey thought about that before saying anything else. Should he have gotten Gallagher something? He'd gotten his other friends gifts. He supposed it was only fair. "Well, I didn't exactly know you would be here for Christmas, did I?" he said. Ian just continued grinning at him. "Yeah, okay. Let's go find you something. Got anything in mind?"
Things were definitely back to normal between them.
Mickey had to work on Christmas Eve. The bar was actually crazy busy. He was looking forward to having off on Christmas Day.
They spent the holiday in their apartment with Sara and Brian coming over. Mickey wasn't sure where Travis had been for the last few nights. Brian had decided to don a Santa hat for the night. They ordered pizza because they were fucking classy like that. They all opened presents. Mandy was over the moon about the TV and Mickey was actually surprised when she said they should leave it in the kitchen instead of taking it to her room. She said she would talk to Mrs. Lombardi about splitting her cable with she went downstairs to give her the flowers they'd bought for her the next morning.
Mandy gave Mickey his gift next. She'd bought him a blown glass ashtray and a Zippo lighter with a blue flame design on it. "So you stop throwing your butts in our coffee cups," she explained.
He gave Sara a CD and was glad to see that there wasn't any disappointment on her face. Gallagher had obviously talked to Mandy about what kind of music Sara liked, because Mickey had had no clue. Mickey opened her gift next and was actually surprised when he found a small, orange Rx bottle filled with various different multicolored pills. "Courtesy of my fucked up mother," Sara supplied. She'd gotten the same gift for everyone. Mickey wondered yet again what was going on in Sara's head, but just smiled and thanked her.
When he opened his gift from Brian, Mickey let out a genuine laugh. They had gotten each other the same sized bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey. Brian slapped Mickey on the back as he said, "See? We're meant to be together."
The only gift left under their pathetic tree had to be for Mickey from Gallagher. Ian was already wearing the tan hoodie that Mickey had bought for him at the mall, and Mickey had been glad that Gallagher hadn't expected him to wrap the fucking thing up when he already knew what it was. Mickey opened the flat red box and saw that Ian had gotten him the gray knitted scarf he'd been tempted to buy in the city. He couldn't help but smile. He wondered how the little shit had managed to buy it without anyone seeing.
They spent the rest of the night drinking. Mandy and Brian eventually ended up stumbling into her room together. Mickey guessed Ian had been right about his sister really liking Brian. Ian didn't look the least bit jealous to see his ex-girlfriend clearly about to hook up with someone else.
A few drinks later, Sara was passed out on the couch. Mickey stood and started gathering up the cans and putting them onto the kitchen counter because the recycling bag was full. Ian was standing in the doorway with his last beer. "Where the hell am I going to sleep tonight? Mandy's room is clearly taken and the couch is occupied."
Mickey looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You done with that?" he asked Ian, motioning to the beer.
Ian killed the bottle and held it out towards Mickey. Sighing, Mickey walked over to him and snatched it from his hand with a smirk.
"You're standing under the mistletoe," Sara said from the couch. Well, apparently the girl wasn't sleeping. Mickey looked up and saw the small plant hanging in the doorway above them. He hadn't noticed the thing before. He looked back down and Firecrotch was just smirking at him. Mickey could feel the blush creeping up his face. Mickey didn't kiss. And he sure has hell wasn't going to kiss Gallagher. Their bodies suddenly seemed way too close. He quickly shoved the bottle back into Gallagher's hand and pushed past him into the hallway. He practically ran to his room and slammed the door behind him. He didn't care that Ian called after him asking where the hell he is going to sleep. Let him fucking kick Sara off the couch.
The next few days passed quickly and New Year's Eve rolled around before Mickey even knew it. There was a party at Sullivan's and everyone was there. Brian didn't even say anything to Mandy or her friends about coming in during business hours, which he had always been a stickler for. Mickey wondered if it had anything to do with his sister hooking up with the bartender the previous week, despite him not having seen them really talk since that night. He was busy carrying up ice from the storage room when the people in the bar started counting down. He glanced at the TV and saw that the ball in Times Square was already dropping, and when it finally reached the bottom, everyone was cheering.
He looked over and saw Mandy and Brian kissing behind the bar. Mickey had always thought it was disgusting and had made it his rule from the beginning to avoid it at all costs. When Sara walked over to him and wished him a Happy New Year, she was looking at his lips expectantly but Mickey shoved past her. He'd had enough. He needed to get some fresh air.
Mickey stormed out of the bar, realizing too late that he should have grabbed a jacket. It was fucking freezing outside.
"What's your problem?" He didn't have to turn around to recognize Gallagher's voice. The boy hurried to catch up with him. "You've been acting weird since Christmas, Mick. I thought things were back to normal between us..."
Mickey kept walking, turning into the alley behind Sullivan's. Without warning, he was slammed against the brick wall of the bar. "Stop being such a fucking asshole, Mickey." Ian said, voice low. "I know that's not who you really are..."
Something in the way Ian said that last part made the breath catch in Mickey's throat. He remembered why he'd wanted to run from the redhead all those months ago in Chicago. Ian's hands were on Mickey's chest, pressing him back against the cold bricks. They were standing so close that Mickey could practically taste the beer and cigarettes on Ian's breath, which was turning to steam as he spoke.
"Let's finish what we should have started at Christmas."
Mickey didn't have a chance to respond.
Ian pushed his lips against Mickey's. He ran his tongue along Mickey's closed mouth, eliciting a moan from the older boy, and when his lips parted with the moan, Ian's tongue gently slipped into Mickey's mouth. Gallagher's tongue was so warm and he tasted so sweet. Without even thinking, Mickey automatically slid his hands under the back of Ian's shirt, pulling them closer. The boy's soft skin felt so hot even though it was freezing outside.
Their bodies were flush. Mickey's erection was pressing against Ian's thigh, but even through their jeans, he could feel that Ian had one too. That realization shocked Mickey back to reality. He abruptly shoved Ian away from him and punched him in his face. He thought he felt bone cracking, and when he looked at Ian's bloody nose, he was sure he had broken it.
"Kiss me again and I'll cut your fucking tongue out," he whispered to Ian, just loud enough that he was sure the redhead heard him. Mickey turned around and walked back to the bar.
