"Lip wants you to move in? With us?" Ian repeated startled.

"Yes, shithead. Weren't you listening?"

"I-uh... okay. Do you want to do that? Are you ready for that?"

Mandy leaned her head onto his shoulder, "I don't know if I'm ready, but..." She raised her head and looked at him. "I want to. It just feels right, ya know? Like when I'm with him things are okay." She smiled and leaned into him once more. "I like feeling okay." She murmured.

It wasn't that people generally thought Ian was gay, but since Mandy started dating Lip openly, people had started to get more suspicious. Unfortunately, those people were mostly from school. And even more unfortunately they were mostly the type of people who would beat up anyone and everyone who could even possibly be gay.

It wasn't the first time Ian had been beat up. It certainly wouldn't be the last. However, it was the first time in the back of the school and it was by far the worst beating he'd received. Five against one wasn't what anyone would call a fair fight and Ian hadn't stood a chance.

When he finally dropped to the ground he couldn't even feel the pain anymore. On some level he knew what was happening, but he couldn't bring himself to fight anymore. He'd tried for at least an hour and gotten in a few punches, but he hadn't scored a quarter of what had been done to him. He heard a nasty crack and knew it was a rib breaking. He felt warm blood running down his face and couldn't see out of one swollen eye. He blocked out their taunting and slurs. He could feel himself shutting down and stared at the ground. Maybe they'd go away soon.

They didn't.

He lay there for about an hour and a half as they kicked and spit and punched before they heard something and ran off. Ian couldn't reach his pocket to get his phone, so he stayed there. He wasn't sure why he hadn't passed out yet. From what he could see of the blood running away from his face, he'd lost a lot.

"Ian?" He heard from behind him. He knew the voice, but he couldn't place it. Suddenly, he was overcome with worry and fear that somehow wasn't his own. "Christ, Ian." He heard and saw shoes move into his vision. He tried to turn his head to look up, but he couldn't move. He groaned instead. "Fuck," the person swore.

He felt himself being gently lifted from the ground, and that's when everything went black.

"Ian? Can you- Ian?" Ian groaned and blinked hard, the whole room was white. "Fiona!" The person next to his bed screamed and ran into the hall. He was pretty sure it was Debbie.

"What the fuck?" Ian managed to say, screwing his eyes shut as if that would shut out the noise.

Footsteps raced into the room. "Oh my God!" That voice was Fiona's. "Ian? How do you feel?"

"Everything hurts." He turned his head to the side slightly to see her. She laughed a little and as his eyes focused more he could see she was almost crying. "Fi?"

"You're okay. Sorry, that's all you're okay." She wiped her eyes and brushed his face lightly. A nurse walked in and began checking things as Fiona talked. "Okay, so what the fuck happened?"

"Just..." He trailed off when he saw movement in the corner. "Mickey?" He was flooded with another emotion that he could tell wasn't his own, anxiety. He craned his neck to see the corner of the room where Mickey was sitting in a chair. He was a wreck with a crumpled shirt, mussed hair, and blood-shot eyes.

Fiona blinked in surprise, "Oh, yeah. He brought you home. He was the one who found you."

Mickey rose slowly and crossed the room. "Uh, hey." He shoved his hands in his pockets after he fiddled with them for a second.

"Thanks," Ian smiled in spite of his split lip.

Mickey almost smiled in return, but covered it with a cough instead, "Yeah, sure." He shrugged.

Fiona smirked as she watched them. She waited for them to keep talking and when they didn't she cut in, "Lip, Mandy, Debbie, Carl, and Liam are in the waiting room. Oh, and Kev and V are getting coffee in the cafeteria."

"For fuck's sake," Ian laughed and winced from the pain of his rib, sending Mickey a sideways glance when he jumped forward with his wince. "Well, send 'em in," He said to Fiona.

"Be right back."

Ian waited until she left before he turned to Mickey. "How'd you find me?"

"Uh, well, everything was kinda hurting really fucking bad and well-" He lifted his shirt slightly to reveal deep bruises.

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry." Ian lifted his hand towards Mickey.

Mickey raised his eyebrows. "It's not your fault and trust me, you're a hell of a lot worse."

It was Ian's turn to lift an eyebrow, though he smirked a little when he did, "You looked under my shirt?"

Mickey scoffed, "Fuck off, Gallagher."

Ian laughed and smiled at Mickey as his room was flooded with his family, some fawning over him, some, namely Carl, asking to see his scars, and some just telling him he was an idiot but on the verge of tears.

Sunday morning, two days later, Ian was released and doing much better. Sunday evening as Ian lay in bed a warm, safe feeling spread across his chest, followed by nervousness, and that's when Mickey Milkovich knocked on his open bedroom door.

"Hey," Ian slowly sat up and leaned back against the wall. "Why are you..."

"Mandy told me you were out of the hospital so... I actually don't know why I'm here. I should go."

"Woah, wait!" Ian called. Mickey turned to face him, wringing his gloves in his hands. "I'm not- uh- wearing pants, but you can come sit." He gestured to the end of the bed. A soft blush spread across Mickey's cheeks at Ian's last statement and Ian had felt a slight arousal prick the air. He was starting to realise that the emotions he was picking up were Mickey's and he was definitely okay with that.

Mickey shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the dresser before sitting on the edge of Ian's bed, as far away as possible. "How are you feeling?" He said quietly, not quite able to meet Ian's eyes.

"I'm pretty good. Probably be at school tomorrow." He looked at Mickey for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry you got hurt."

Mickey met his gaze looking startled. "What? Nah, I'm fine. It's just pay back for all those fuckin' years you got hurt 'cause of me."

Ian chuckled, "Yeah, I guess." He dropped his eyes as he added quieter, "I don't mind. I wouldn't want a different soulmate."

Ian felt waves of happiness and insecurity rolling off of Mickey as silence filled the air. "Who-" Mickey cleared his throat, "Who did this to you?"

"Just Evan Chase and his gang of dickheads," Ian rolled his eyes, "It really isn't a big deal."

"Like hell it isn't," Mickey shot back his voice rising. Ian almost smiled as he lifted his head. "I'll beat the shit outta that fucker."

"Mickey! No. It's fine." Ian leaned forward to place a hand on his arm. "I'm okay now, and he's just an idiot."

Mickey studied his face briefly before lifting Ian's hand from his arm. "I gotta go." And suddenly he was rushing out of the room.

Ian sighed deeply and fell slowly back onto his pillow. "What the fuck?"