Hello! Yes I just posted the first chapter not too long ago but this was ready so I thought "eh, why not."

This is a two part chapter so expect the second half tomorrow or Monday at the latest!

Drop a review and tell me what ya think!

Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters or themes belong to the rightful owners.

Here we go!

"The End Days"

Chapter Two (Part I): "Boyfriend Material"

Ian doesn't want to move on, but it's hard to say no to "do-gooders"

-;- -;-

School is mundane, like always. Ian is cryptic with his answers towards Mandy in class earlier in the day when she repeatedly asked him "what his deal is." It's even harder with Mandy, he can't just tell her, more about her brother would have to revealed then what she could be prepared for and Ian doesn't want to damage their friendship. They've been through too much and having another Milkovich out of his life could possibly be his undoing.

He wonders what Mickey is doing right now, is he sad? Is he relieved to be free of Ian?

Is he making wedding plans?

"Mr. Gallagher?" A gruff voice broke through his inner musings and he makes direct eye contact with his history teacher.

"Uh, yeah?" Ian sheepishly replies. The class easily found this exchange chuckle worthy. The teacher holds up the European history textbook and waves it animatedly. "Your opinion on the chapter, the same chapter we've been discussing for the past forty minutes."

Ian clears his throat, "Oh, right, um…Napoleon, is quite interesting in how he…does…things." He couldn't help but smirk at himself, he knows he's bullshitting and so does the class, their chuckles are basically cackles now. This school day needs to end.

The history teacher is done, "Okay, it's the last hour of the day; let's just move on, you kids are making me grey enough as it is."

-;-

Ian briskly walks through the halls, his backpack practically hanging on to dear life. His mood hasn't improved at all and he doesn't want to run into Lip or Mandy.

Of course he speaks too soon.

"Hey, hold up Ian! Ian!" Mandy's voice rises above the chatter of the other students in the hallway. He feels a firm grip on his arm and automatically assumes it's Lip. Ian has no choice but to stop and turn around. "Yeah, what?" Ian flinches at his own aggravated tone.

Lip notices, "Dude, you been acting fucking weird lately."

"Especially today," Mandy chimes in, she loops her arm through his and the trio begins to walk out the school doors, "We haven't studied together in a long time. How about you come to my house later? Lip?" Mandy looks over to him for an unneeded conformation for her invite towards Ian, Lip silently shrugs.

Mandy rolls her eyes at him and looks back to Ian, "We won't be bothered, my dad is in the wind right now and my brothers probably won't be there, definitely not Mickey, he's been sulking in and out of the house for a while, you two must be on the same man-period cycle." She laughs at her own joke.

Air from the outside whips Ian in the face and he's thankful for the cold hit, hearing about her dad and Mickey in the same sentence makes him want to vomit…and cry a little.

"Maybe, sure."

Lip coughs and spits on the sidewalk, "Well you two do that, those rich kids are back cleaning the 'hood up and I know one kid is gonna want some weed." Ian, thankful for a topic change, speaks up, "Oh? Who's the kid, where you meet 'em?"

"Uh, when I had that bullshit community service, err, Casper 'something,' Duncan, I think?"

Ian thinks of a plan to keep his mind busy, "Maybe I'll go with you, I need something to do."

Lip smirks, "Alright, yeah."

"Then you and me, right?" Mandy perks up. Ian thinks rapidly, "Yeah, yeah but how about you come over my house?"

"Sure."

-;-

With Mandy gone, Lip and Ian walks to the area the Lakeshore kids are at making an "urban garden paradise."

"So Ian, how's your slutty 'sexcapades' going?" Lip inquires laughter in his voice. Ian isn't impressed, but now on edge. "Nothing! Wh-what, why does that matter?"

Lip puts his hands up in mock defeat smiling wide, "Just conversation."

"Yeah, nosey conversation, what about you and Mandy, you were acting like a dick with that application stuff."

"We're good, she did it with good intentions but shit, that pressure sets me off."

Ian nods and remains silent as they finally make it to the garden and see people with bright green shirts working harmoniously, almost to a point where they should break out in a "Glee" number.

"Which one's the weed head?" Ian asks. Lip points to a tall kid, built, with sandy blonde hair. Ian spots him and would consider him cute…if he was shorter and had black hair, plushy lips. Ian scrunches his eyes and wills the thoughts of him back. Lip cups his hands around his mouth.

"Yo, Casper! Hey, dude!"

"Hey!" Casper sees the brothers and jogs over; despite the chill outside his face has a nice sheen of sweat. Ian doesn't look at his face for too long. He doesn't know how to handle the thought of finding someone around his age attractive outside of him.

"I don't know what you see in that geriatric viagroid."

Ian feels himself being elbowed, "…this is my little brother Ian." Lip finishes stating. Ian sees Casper putting his strong hand out to be shook. Ian breaks out of his stupor and grasps it and shakes it, trying not to enjoy the strength of Casper's grip.

"Nice to meet you, like Lip said I'm Casper Duncan," he has a toothy grin and holds it after he breaks the handshake. "Same here," Ian responds. Lip starts talking to Casper and Ian uses this opportunity to survey him, Casper has an inch on him, but has a similar frame, he can see the tautness and definition of his upper body muscles as he shakes with laughter. He hears them talking but only bits register.

"…yeah I haven't seen much but I'll be at the Coffee Beanery studying later."

"…Sorry, maybe we can hang next time, maybe Ian can join."

"Yeah?"

Silence. Ian realizes he has to contribute to the conversation, "I'm sorry, what?"

Lip shakes his head slightly, "Casper doesn't really click with the Glee club he was wondering if one of us would go to the Coffee Beanery later, at like, six-ish with him, he's studying."

Ian's belly gets a weird feeling. He can't differentiate if he's excited at the prospect or nervous. He hates himself for actually wanting to go. "Yeah, I have plans with someone but I can try to meet you." That's fair enough.

Casper face brightens even more and agrees, "Okay I hope you can make it, Lip I have to get back…"

Ian looks at his brother and Casper exchange "the goods" and Casper pockets his purchase, looking at Ian all the while and eyes him. Not like an absent stare but gives him that look, the look that Ian and people like him can identify.

Casper's gay.

-;-

Ian watches as Mandy leaves with Lip. Lip had come home to get Mandy after their short study session to go back to wherever he initially came from. Ian sits in silence, Debbie and Liam is at Shelia's, Fiona and Jimmy are job hunting and Carl is at an after school program. He is glad for the silence and also hates it because that leaves room for thinking. He playbacks his conversation with Mandy when they were neglecting their English review worksheet:

Mandy looks to Ian with a mouth full of potato chips, "So are you anti-Milkovich house after that thing happened?"

What.

"What do you mean by 'thing', what 'thing'?" Ian's heart slams against his chest and his palms get sweaty, she can't know. It's impossible.

Mandy breaks eye contact then, "The pregnancy thing. You barely been near my house since then, if ever." So she thinks.

Ian felt a wave of relief wash over him. He remembers that nightmare, but if she knew about the other one…

"My dad probably repressed that by now and I like hanging out, my home is like, falling apart or whatever," Mandy says barely audible, she adds, "Mickey just been so not like him, well obviously because of the pregnant skank and the marriage bullshit," -Ian's shoulders reflexively tense-, "Actually he hasn't even brought it up for the last few times he was in the house."

Ian's heart says it is because Mickey misses him, wants him and he calls off the whole thing, his head tells him to get a fucking clue.

"Does he…want to get married?" Ian reluctantly asks.

"He never went into it he just said what he was doing."

"Why, is your dad making him do it?"

Mandy scoffs, "I don't know! Why do you give a shit?"

Ian looks up at the clock, six o'clock on the dot. He jumps up and grabs his coat; he barely gets it on before he is out the door.

-;-

Ian smells the Coffee Beanery before he gets to it. He looks through the windows and spots Casper nose deep into a thick textbook and heads inside. He buys a small coffee and stares at an oblivious Casper as he waits for it. Ian focuses in on Casper's mouth as it slightly moves when he reads to himself. Ian eyes widen when Casper's tongue snake out and wets his bottom lip before he goes for his drink.

"Ian, small coffee," the nasally barista hands the lidded cup to Ian and he takes a deep breath and walks in front of the small table where Casper is sitting.

"Hey, want some company," Ian prays that didn't come out flirty.

An alerted Casper snaps his head up and smirks when he recognizes Ian, "Absolutely, Flash."

"Flash?" Ian quirks his eyebrow at the sandy blonde; Casper giggles, giggles, "Uh-huh, you remind me of Kid Flash, have a seat, talk to me."

Ian wholeheartedly laughs at the comic book reference and sits down; shocked but not annoyed buy Casper lightly dragging a finger on the top of Ian's hand.

"Am I looking into this wrong?"

Ian furrows a brow, "What do you mean?"

"Well,"- Casper begins to look a little embarrassed-"You are gay, right?"

"Yes." Ian surprised himself at how fast and loose he answered- especially in public.

"Well good then, I hope you aren't seeing anybody, Flash."

-;- -;-

Continues in part II