Since Mickey had told Ian he was keeping the baby Ian tried to be around as often as he could but not too much, Mickey's words were crystal clear.
"If that piece of shit Terry finds out about us or this baby, he will kill us," Mickey told him, for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Then get out Mickey, you and our baby don't have to stay there" Ian replied back.
"And exactly where do you propose I go Gallagher? I have no money, nothing, where can I go?"
"What if…what if you stay with me?"
That was a good idea but Mickey didn't wanna risk it. He knew if he ever tried to leave, no matter where he went Terry would find him and it would never end well. It would end with him getting beaten like a dog and with him carrying a child, Terry would kill the baby. If anything happened to his unborn child he would never forgive himself.
"I can't. He would find me. I'm not risking me or this baby"
"Mickey-"
"I said no Gallagher. Just fucking drop it. As long as I do what Terry asks I stay safe. And as long as he doesn't find out about the baby, the baby and I stay safe. I'll figure it out till then just drop it"
That was then, months had passed. Mickey was now nearing the five-month mark of his pregnancy, he'd been wearing bigger clothes to hide his growing stomach. He avoided going out with his brothers when they wanted to beat the shit out of people. He was trying to do better and be better for the sake of his child. He knew if he was sent to juvie and his baby was born in the slammer it would have been hard as hell to see his child again.
If Mickey were, to be honest, the baby growing inside him was just about the only thing he loved and cared for. Aside from Ian. That redhead ginger snap was getting under his skin. Ian was slowly helping Mickey break the walls he had built around him. Mickey was scared to let anyone in, when he did he was the one to always get hurt from it. Somehow, someway he ended up hurt, whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, he was the hurt one.
One day Mickey had managed to slip out of the house after Terry passed out drunk on the couch, he was going to the clinic to get checked out. They said he was far enough along to find out the gender of the baby. He would find out if he was having a handsome little boy or a beautiful baby girl. Either way, it didn't matter to him. He wanted to prove to everyone he can be a better father than his own.
The dark-haired teenage boy walked from his house to the corner store where Ian worked. Ian was stocking shelves in the store when Mickey walked in, Kash saw him and glared. The teen boy matched his glare with a harsher and colder one.
"Ian, I'll be in the back. Call me if you need help" Kash told him, not taking his eyes off Mickey.
"I'll be fine Kash" Ian rolled his eyes.
Ever since it had come out to Kash that Ian had slept with Mickey, it only made Kash hate Mickey more. Mickey wanted nothing more than to bash the fucker's knee caps but he wouldn't. He then turned his attention to the ginger teen boy.
"Listen, I have a doctor's appointment today. They said I could find out what the baby is. I thought maybe if you wanted to. You can come to" Mickey offered to him.
"R-really?" Ian was stunned by the generous offer.
"It's your kid just as much as it is mine. I do want you involved with everything"
"When is it?"
"About an hour and a half"
"Yes! I mean, of course, I'll go with you"
"I'll wait for you if you want"
Ian smiled and went about finishing up the rest of his shift, the time passed by and he finished. He took his apron off and put it away. The ginger teen bounced out of the store like a kid in a candy shop. Mickey had been true to his word and waited for Ian to finish out his shift. Once he was the two headed for the clinic, Ian reached for the dark-haired boy's hand but Mickey smacked it away.
"Not in fucking public Gallagher," Mickey told him.
"Sorry," Ian replied sheepishly.
"So..what's been going on with you?"
"Not much. I miss you"
"Say that again, I'll rip your tongue outta your head"
"Ya know you don't always have to be scared and live in fear. You can do something about it"
"Yeah? Like what? Anything I do will get the shit beat out of me. Not everyone can blurt out how they fucking feel. I can't be like you Ian"
"It could show our baby not to fear anything. That it would be alright to show how they feel. That no matter what we'll accept them the way they are"
Mickey had actually let that sink into his head for a moment. "Let's just go, I don't wanna be late"
The two teens soon had arrived at the clinic and headed inside, Mickey scribbled on the paper to sign in. He'll be damned if it gets out that he's there and for what. This would spread like wildfire and would easily get back to Terry.
Mickey would send occasional glances at Ian and just admired his features. His smooth pale skin. His freckled face. That red curly ginger hair of his. It was all so intoxicating. He wouldn't admit it but he was feeling something towards Ian. When he was with the freckled-faced ginger boy he felt free, safe, happy. Something nobody has ever made him feel before.
When he was glancing, Ian caught him staring and grinned. "Whatcha starin at?"
"Nothing. Just a sign behind you"
"Sure, whatever you say"
Before Mickey could respond he was called to the back and Ian followed him, the doctor smiled and looked at Ian.
"Friend?"
"Baby's father" Ian smiled.
"I think we got the introductions out of the way let's move on with this" Mickey spoke.
He really didn't want it to be known he was in public with Ian and Ian just announced he was the baby's father. He knew Terry had people who acted as his eyes and ears everywhere. And he knew this could very easily get back to him if he wasn't careful.
The doctor nodded and lifted Mickey's shirt up and revealed his big stomach, squirting some gel on his stomach he put the wand on it and turned the machine on. He started moving the wand around. Ian watched with a proud smile, he was filled with nervousness and butterflies.
Maybe he can show Mickey he can be a good parent. He'll be ten times the parent that Frank and Monica weren't. He wouldn't trade his child for drugs or booze the way they would. He wouldn't split on Mickey or his child and become a revolving door breezing in and out like Monica. He wouldn't drink his days away like Frank. He wanted to be a damn good father.
"And there's the baby" The doctor pointed, breaking both boys from their thoughts.
The two boys looked at the screen and saw their baby. Ian had tears in his eyes. That was his baby. His and Mickey's. And nothing or nobody could ever take it away from them. Mickey's eyes burned with tears but he never let them fall. He couldn't more so wouldn't. As Terry drilled into them Milkovich men don't cry, if they did they were fuckin pussies.
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Ian asked.
After moving the wand around the doctor stopped it and smiled. "Congratulations it's a baby girl"
"A girl," Ian choked out. "Mick, it's a baby girl"
That made Mickey's heart swell. He and Ian were expecting a beautiful baby girl. The tears that were in his eyes finally fell. The doctor turned up the volume on the machine as the baby's heartbeat sounded through the speakers. It had made the moment even more special.
"Sounds like she has a strong heartbeat" The doctor smiled at the two boys.
"She's half Gallagher, half Milkovich" Ian sniffed but spoke proudly.
After the gel was wiped from Mickey's stomach and the new sonograms were printed, the two boys left the clinic. Mickey had a sonogram as did Ian, the ginger boy tried to walk with Mickey home but the dark-haired boy felt it was too risky.
"Mickey-"
"You gotta go home, Ian"
"I can walk-"
"Ian I told you. I can't. If Terry catches us. Just please"
It had broken Ian's heart to hear Mickey deny him at times. He tried to understand Mickey, but not hard enough. He hadn't felt Terry's wrath. Mickey had. And Mickey wanted to protect him from it.
Before Ian could get another word out Mickey left going home, with a sad expression Ian went home himself. As Mickey started walking it began raining and he forgot his hoodie.
"For fucks sake" He muttered.
Normally he would run the rest of the way but this time he just kept walking, he didn't wanna risk slipping and falling. As he walked he saw a few couples with their children. They were happy, smiling, being who they were. Mickey wanted that more than anything but he knew if he tried to be who he was he'd suffer at Terry's hands.
He wished Ian could understand that. Not everyone could be as open and as happy as he could be. If Mickey did anything that Terry didn't like it would end in an all-out fistfight. And Terry would not hold back. As Mickey walked he realized he ended up back home and went to sit on the porch.
He pulled out the sonogram and softly smiled looking at it. The little blob was his little girl forming and growing inside of him. He felt something hard coming from his stomach. He looked down and felt her kick.
"Nice of you to greet me. I'm your dad. I promise that no matter what, I'll never do anything to hurt you. I'll always love you. I don't care who you turn out to be" He murmured softly, rubbing his stomach. He let out a sigh. "I just wish I could be me. If I ever figure out who that is"