Chapter Ten

Ian lay on his stomach reading a magazine while Mickey massaged his back. Mickey was perched on Ian's ass so he could have full access to Ian's entire back. The muscles were hard and tense and Mickey loved their feel. He took a moment to slap Ian's thigh before continuing the massage.

"None of that, Mick," Ian smiled behind his porn.

"You have great legs, man," Mickey said working a knot on Ian's side. Ian had been stressed out lately and Mickey had no idea why. He just wanted to keep the stress levels down. That was the only reason he volunteered to massage his red headed boyfriend.

Your back is pretty great too. Mickey worked the knot out and heard Ian let out a soft moan that went straight to Mickey's groin. He twitched involuntarily. Ian started to roll over. Mickey slapped him on the thigh again and forced him back down. Ian let out a laugh.

"I like being manhandled," said Ian.

"Well it's about to get rougher if you don't lay still. I'm fucking serious, Ian. I want to get all the tension out."

"A good way to relieve tension is sex," Ian teased.

Mickey smirked. Ian was right of course. Mickey peeled off his shirt, climbed off Ian, and switched places with him. Ian in turn straddled Mickey and stared down into his face. He was inches from kissing him when the door to Karen's room swung open. Sheila was standing in the door. Ian climbed off Mickey who quickly put his shirt back on.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sheila asked.

Yes, fuck off.

"No," said Ian.

"Good. I wanted to ask you something. I know how you feel about this, Ian, but I wanted to talk to you about me dating. There is this nice man I met and he's coming over in an hour with his daughter. She's sixteen. I was hoping you and Mickey could entertain her while her father and I go out."

"She can't entertain herself?" Mickey asked. There's more to this than she's telling.

"She can, but she's an only child and it's not easy for her to be alone. I thought she could stay here and watch a movie with both of you. I rented a few and I thought you would let her choose."

"You're dating again?" Ian asked finally.

"I need to, Ian."

Ian nodded. Mickey shook his head. Ian acted alright with it now, but the second she leaves Mickey knows what will happen. Ian will throw a tantrum about how he doesn't want her to date anyone.

Mickey shut the door the second Sheila left and immediately got back on the bed and waited for Ian who was doing exactly as he expected.

"I don't get it. Why does she need to date? I mean, she's older. She's a nice looking woman, I guess, but she doesn't need a man to fulfill her."

Not with that many dildos at her reach.

"Ian, she's not your mother."

"Why do you always say that?" Ian sat down on the side of the bed. Mickey sat beside him and took his hand. Ian smiled at him then went back to brooding.

"Because it's always true. She's not your mother. You need to realize it."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because she pays attention to me, Mickey. All my life I've been the middle Gallagher. My problems were overlooked in favor of Lip or one of the younger kids, and I have never needed anyone to take care of me. I've been the independent one my whole life. I'm not even Frank's. I'm different. So, when Sheila stepped up to take care of me I relished it. Finally, it was all about me. I'm being put first."

Mickey kissed Ian and nudged him with his shoulder. This is clearly very important to Ian, and Mickey needed to respect that. He brought Ian's hand up to his lip and put a soft kiss there.

"I put you first."

"I know you do, Mickey, but this is different somehow. I can't explain it."

Ian started to cry. It took Mickey by surprised. He rolled his eyes. It was one of those mood swings that Fiona kept going on about. Mickey held Ian in his arms and let him cry it out. It's what he needed.

Ian didn't stop crying until he heard voices downstairs. Mickey released a suddenly excited Ian who grabbed his crutches and hobbled out of the room. Mickey shook his head. He sniffed himself, decided he smelled okay and followed Ian.

The man Sheila was going out with seemed nice enough, though he bothered Ian anyway. Mickey stood close to Ian as he interrogated the man. Humor him or die, fuckhead. Mickey glared bullets at the man as he answered all of Ian's questions.

"Your son is very nosy," Mickey heard him whisper. He clenched his fist and tightened his stance. He was ready for a fight.

"He's just protective," Sheila said, "Ian, here's fifty dollars, order a pizza for dinner." She kissed him on the cheek, squeezed Mickey's bicep, and grabbed her purse.

"I have a friend who's a cop," Ian yelled after Sheila's date. He stood at the door until he could no longer see the taillights of the man's car. Mickey rubbed his back. He finally noticed the young girl sitting on the couch. She had blonde hair which had a dark blue streak on one side and her hair cut was a tad asymmetrical.

"I think we should watch something sexy," she said at patted the seat next to her. Ian shrugged and sat down.

What is he doing?

Mickey hesitated. There was no room on the other side of Ian for him to sit so he had no choice but to sit on the opposite of the girl. She scooted close to him. Ian didn't notice.

"I'm Mallory, you can call me Mal. I don't want to be here."

"Mickey. Feelings mutual," Mickey said.

"Do you have any beer?" Mal asked.

"Yeah, I'll get it," Ian said.

Mickey watched him struggle to the kitchen to get the beers, but he knew offering to help Ian would only anger him. So he let him go while Mallory chose the movie. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! Is what she chose. Mickey glanced at all the choices that Sheila rented.

These are fucking date movies. What the fuck is going on?

Mallory put in the DVD and sat closer to Mickey than he would have liked. Ian again missed it. He returned juggling to hold three beers and failed to notice how close she was to Mickey. Mickey noticed she was staring at him. He noticed she was inching up her skirt every ten minutes or so. Mickey noticed when she touched his hand, which he immediately put on the back of the couch.

"You smell amazing," Mallory whispered where only Mickey could hear her. He looked at Ian who was watching the movie and sipping his beer and paying little attention to the teenage girl. Ian never had much interest in girls and the only ones he interacted with were his sisters and Mandy, so it was normal that he would ignore her.

"Shut the fuck up," Mickey whispered back to her.

At one point during the film she took his hand and admired the "U-Up" tattooed across it. By that point, Ian had gotten up to use the bathroom. It would take him awhile to get upstairs with his crutches. "You alright, man?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah," Ian said with a smile and went upstairs. Be careful.

"You're so hot," Mallory said, finally closing the small gap between them. Mickey knew what was coming, but did not expect the magnitude of it. Mallory got between his legs and tried to unzip his jeans. Mickey pushed her face away from him.

"Stop it, what if Ian sees?"

"The red head? He's boring. You're so fucking sexy. I have a weakness for bad boys."

"Well, I am not interested."

But Mallory didn't listen. She had pulled him completely out. Mickey kept pushing her away. She kept coming back. She had his dick in her hands when Ian returned. Mickey saw the look on his face when he finally noticed what was going on.

"What the fuck, Mickey?" Ian asked, he tapped on the girl's shoulder and she released Mickey. Ian quietly pointed to his spot on the couch. Mallory sat down there. Ian sat next to Mickey.

"Thank you," Mickey said.

"I'm not talking to you right now. I don't even want to look at you," Ian said furiously. Mickey saw a tear escape Ian's eye and his heart started to break.

"I'm telling my dad you tried to rape me," Mallory said.

"I need a fucking cigarette," Mickey said. He got up and went outside. He peaked in the window often to make sure that Mallory wasn't putting the moves on Ian. She wasn't, but he had to be sure anyway. When Sheila's date's car pulled up in front of the house Mickey let out a sigh of relief.

Mickey went inside to find Mallory glaring at Ian. The feeling seemed to be mutual. Mickey sat down on the edge of the couch and waited for Sheila and Mallory's date to come inside.

"Would you like to spend the night?" Sheila asked her date.

"I appreciate the offer, but I should get Mallory home."

"She can stay. I am sure the boys wouldn't mind."

"Actually, I do mind," Ian said.

"Ditto," said Mickey.

"Boys," Sheila said.

"Daddy, the red head touched me. He slid his hand up my skirt," Mallory said winking at Ian.

"He did what?" the man asked.

"I don't believe that. Ian would never do something like that," Sheila said.

But the man was charging at Ian and would have grabbed him if Mickey hadn't decked him. It took Sheila and Ian together to pull Mickey off Sheila's date. He had a bloody nose and Mickey came away unscathed. Ian kissed him on the cheek. Which the man saw and then looked at his daughter.

"He doesn't seem interested in you at all, Mal. Look," He nodded in the direction of Ian who was staring at Mickey with heart eyes. Mickey was eyeing the father and the daughter and not paying attention to his love struck boyfriend.

"That explains a lot actually," Mallory said, "I'm sorry, Mickey."

"Apologize to him," Mickey said pointing at Ian with his thumb. Mickey could see Ian smiling at him out of the corner of his eyes. He leaned toward Ian and let him kiss him on the cheek again.

"Sorry, Ian."

"Whatever," Ian said angrily, never removing his eyes from Mickey.

Sheila pushed them out the door, kissed her date on the cheek and returned to the boys who were hugging and apologizing to each other. Mickey released Ian and rounded on Sheila.

"If you ever do that again I will take Ian and leave this fucking house. I ain't 'entertaining' any more horny teenagers, Ian ain't going out with any more of your friends' sons. We ain't your fucking whores. This stops. I don't care if you didn't do it on purpose. It fucking ends."

"Mickey," Ian said, finally pulling his head out of a love bubble. Mickey could swear he heard a popping sound when Ian finally came back to earth. "It's okay."

"No, it fucking isn't."

"I'm sorry," Sheila said, sincerely. Mickey was caught off guard.

"You are?"

"I just want Ian to be happy. I want to be his mother. I thought maybe if I found a man to marry we could form a real family. That's all I've ever wanted."

She was crying, which lead to Ian crying while he comforted her. They cried together on the couch while Mickey drank. What the fuck do I do? He tried to comfort Ian, but Ian was preoccupied with Sheila.

"We can be a family, Sheila," said Ian between sobs. His face was red and puffy and Mickey couldn't help but smile. He's kind of cute like that.

"I want to have a baby," Sheila said.

Ian removed his hand from Sheila for a moment and stared at Mickey. Mickey waited for the tears that would soon flow from Ian. He was ready with the bucket to catch them. That had to hurt. Ian slowly rubbed Sheila's back as he processed what her words meant: No more room for Ian.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I'm lonely. I want something to do."

"What about me?"

"Oh, my precious boy, you're not going anywhere. You're my baby too," Sheila choked out as she kissed Ian on the cheek. But Ian didn't seem convinced. Mickey held his hand and waited for him to overreact or freak out. Instead, he stayed calm and patted Sheila on the back.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Ian said with a sniffle as a single tear rolled down his cheek.