"Hey, put that shit down and come look at this" Mickey called from the living room.
"I'm making the kids some dinner, Mick, wait a few minutes". Ian called back, and kept chopping the vegetables.
"Was I not fucking clear, Gallagher?" Mickey shot back, closer to him now. Ian looked up, mad.
"Shit, I'm sorry man" Ian repented, seeing the look Ian was shooting at him "just leave that for a second and come have a look at this, will you?" he said, waving a piece of paper. Ian put the knife down and rinsed his hands in the full sink. Wiping them on his jeans, Ian strolled over and plucked the piece of paper from Mickey's hand.
"What's this?" Ian asked, looking at the print out of some real estate website.
"It's a golden ticket, what do you think it fucking is?" He said this, in a classic Mickey way, but he grabbed Ian's hand and led him to the couch, in a way that reminded Ian how much he'd changed.
"Look, I found it at the library. Yes I know where the library is" he added as Ian raised his eyebrows. Ian laughed a little but didn't interrupt. "It's a place in an estate. There's not much to it, and it's a far bit away from your family's place, but we don't really need much and I reckon we can afford it, the man said we can look at it this afternoon." Ian didn't know what to say. He knew the two of them couldn't stay at Fiona's forever, and now that Mickey's dad's house was sold, they didn't have many options. Still, Ian would never have thought Mickey would be the one to suggest a place.
"What about your record?" Ian asked.
"I have enough money and I haven't given the courts trouble in a while. I think if I show around some cash they'll let us. Plus you've never been convicted of anything, and they don't exactly have many fucking angels lying around this part of the yard to rent it. So you don't think it's a terrible idea?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea". And Ian did. Ian grabbed the back of Mickey's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. When Ian pulled away, Mickey grabbed Ian back and kept going. They would have fucked on the couch if they didn't hear Ian's brothers and sisters coming up the path to the house. Instead of jumping up like he usually would, Mickey simply folded up the paper and put it in his jacket pocket, and leaned back. Ian smiled and went back to the dinner. A fruit and vegetable truck had broken down a few blocks away so the Gallagher household was eating posh for this week. A few hours later, after they'd all eaten some of the soup that Ian had made, Mick and Ian made their excuses and headed towards the estate. Mickey shook hands with the man waiting outside, and talking about his kids. Ian soon saw why his conviction wasn't going to be a problem. This was someone he knew from his time in juvie.
"And this of course is my Ian" My Ian! Ian thought, knowing he had a stupid grin on his face.
"Gallagher, I'm Greg Smithson, I feel like I already know you, this guy never used to shut up about you when we were inside together." Ian knew that was an exaggeration, but still loved that the tips of Mickey's ears went a little pink for a few minutes.
"I'll let you boys look around a bit. The last couple in here left some stuff behind, but I can clear out anything you don't want, just let me know". They two of them went inside while Greg smoked a cigarette and talked on the phone out the front. They silently looked around the place: the kitchen was small, but there was a fridge already there and the taps worked. There was a small living room with a broken clothes horse in the corner and a doorway with no door leading to the bedroom, and a bathroom just big enough for a shower and a toilet. Ian realised that Mickey was looking at him, waiting. He looked vulnerable, as if he was waiting for Ian's approval.
"Mick, it's perfect. Are you sure we can afford it?"
"Don't worry about it, my man, I've got my dad's money to set us up with a new mattress and a couch and tv or something, and then we should be able to keep ourselves afloat if we're both working. You sure this is what you want?" He asked. Ian said nothing but kissed him, and pushed him against the counter top. They couldn't have sex now, but it was an unspoken promise for when the place was theirs.
"Hey Smithson! We'll take it!" As Mickey went to settle details with Greg, Ian looked around the place more closely.
"There's a shared laundry downstairs, that's included in your rent, just bring your own laundry powder and don't leave your clothes alone. The neighbours aren't too bad, but I wouldn't be leaving the place unlocked or nothing. I take three weeks rent in advance, and as long as you pay the rent and don't start cooking meth in here, you'll never see me. The pub on the corner has a dart board and a couple of pool tables which is good." Ian nodded, he knew the Horse and Elephant from Frank's early days before he was banned for life. Again, Ian wandered off and looked around, pulling the phone from his pocket and calling Fiona to explain. He expected her to be worried or mention the kids, but more than anything she sounded relieved. Mickey left with Greg for a few minutes, and came back with some black rubbish bags and a vacuum cleaner. For a few hours, Mickey and Ian worked and chatted away picking up the odd DVD case or empty gin bottle that the previous renters had left. Admittedly, Ian did most of the chatting, but Mickey's stupid grin matched Ian's and it wasn't long before the two were fucking on the floor, getting carpet burns from their new house.

After, Mickey dozed off, and Ian wrote him a quick note with a pen he found and a piece of old paper towel. Ian left the keys with Mickey, trusting that he would be there when Ian got back and pulled the door shut. Ian knew there was a big Tesco's not too far down the road, so with his hands in his pocket he walked down, whistling. He was just too happy. At Tesco's Ian loaded a trolley with cleaning supplies and a backpack to help carry it home with. He also grabbed a bag of chips and some beers, and then, thinking of Fiona, two green apples to eat tonight. Even with the backpack, it took twice as long to get back. When Ian got there, he struggled to knock on the door and the bags he was holding spilt to the floor as he tripped on the entrance. Mickey laughed, and picked up the stuff.
"You're not fucking around here, are you Gallagher?" Ian didn't correct him, only smirked and took off the backpack.
"Beer's in the bag, I'm going to start on the bathroom" Ian replied over my shoulder, already heading there.
"Why? This place is not too bad." Mickey replied.
"I know! It's great Mick, honestly! I just want it to be perfect for us, and I want to be able to show it off to Fiona and the kids".
"What? They can't come here! This is for us!" Ian could hear the panic in Mickey's voice
"Relax Mick, I at least need to show Fiona before she'll let me move out. Even if she's desperate to have a couple of fewer mouths to feed back home".
"Okay, you do what you want, Greg's organised for me to help out at the pub down the road."
"Already? Jesus, I can't have you being the main bread-winner in this house. Maybe I need to do another porno" Mickey's face went white for a minute, before realising Ian was joking. 'Never mentioning that one again, that's clearly a sore spot' thought Ian.
"Here, swap shirts with me. That pub is nicer than the Alibi, and your ripped sleeves don't look great." Mickey gave Ian a look. Ian winked and answered "don't worry, your hair looks great as always". Another look. Ian was glad he'd stopped using the word fag though. It never did feel right. He took the shirt though, and Ian buttoned it up for him and Mickey let him. Ian slapped his ass as he turned away and called "Have a good day at work honey!" and grinned at him.
"Later, you idiot". Mickey pocketed the keys and pulled the door closed behind him. A few minutes later Ian could feel his phone vibrate with a text.
I'll cut a key copy before I come home. Later. Honey.
Mickey's humour always made Ian laugh.

Ian took a scrubbing brush and the bottle of bleach out of the bag, and plugged in some earphones. He spent at least two hours scrubbing the bathroom from floor to ceiling, scrubbing the toilet until it shined and his head was dizzy with bleach fumes. Ian took a quick 10 minute break to shovel down a bit more than half the chips and 2 cans of beer. Exchanging the bleach for sugar soap, Ian began scrubbing the grime off the walls. Hours passed and his body was aching. It didn't seem to matter how many pull ups Ian could do, that was nothing compared to the 6 or 7 solid hours of scrubbing he'd done. The place did look so much better though. Ian thought about taking another break, but then thought of Mickey down the road, who had also been working for those 7 hours, and couldn't. Ian wasn't going to be just some house-hubby who sat around while his boyfriend brought in the money. It was 9 o'clock when Mickey got back home and opened the door. Ian was sitting on the floor cleaning the cornices because he couldn't support his body to stand. Ian looked a mess, and when he saw Ian, Mickey dropped his jacket and keys and jogged over.
"Jesus Ian, have you stopped all evening?" Ian could only let his head roll back and meet to Mickey's eyes.
"Fuck, Gallagher, you've tired yourself out, did you eat?"
"Had a few chips after you left" Ian mumbled and let himself be scooped up by Mickey. Mickey didn't have a plan though, and realised there was no couch or bed to bring Ian to. Instead he positioned himself tucked under the living-room side of the kitchen counter with his jacket as a pillow. Ian half-sat, half lay with his head on Mickey's warm chest and held onto Mickey's arms that he had wrapped around Ian. Feeling safe, Ian fell asleep, forgetting to ask Mickey how his night had gone. When Ian woke up mid-morning, they had slid down to be spooning on the floor, with Mickey's arms still wrapped protectively around Ian. Ian took a moment to appreciate Mickey's strong body against his back, then carefully peeled himself away and stood up. Ian's whole body ached from yesterday's cleaning frenzy, but he was proud to see that the small flat was looking good. One more day of cleaning and it would be good to go. The sound of his phone rang, startling him. Ian lunged to grab it before it woke up Mickey. Too late. It was Linda.
"Hi Linda, I'm not late am I? I thought I was starting this afternoon?" Ian started to think about the best way to get to and from Kash and Grab from here.
"I was calling because I'm shutting the store this weekend. It's a last minute family thing, so I can still pay you for one of the days since I didn't give you any notice" came Linda's voice.
"Nah, that's okay Linda, I've got some stuff to do anyway. I'll see you Monday then, yeah?". That was a perfect opportunity to finish up the house before moving in. Feeling suddenly frisky, Ian went to where Mickey was now sitting and started to massage his shoulders while kissing the top of his head.
"Sit down, you" Mickey grumbled yanking the red-head to the floor.
"Oh you want it like this do you, tough guy" Ian murmured back, reaching towards his hips. Mickey slapped away my hands.
"Stop it, Ian. Not now. I want to talk about yesterday". Ian didn't give up and started kissing his cheeks and down his neck.
"For fucks sake!" Mickey exclaimed "When I got back yesterday, you looked half dead! Why the fuck did you exhaust yourself like that? Do I gotta be worried about you, now?" Ian was shocked. What was he worried about?
"You're worried about that? Really? I just wanted to clean this place up"
"Don't give me that shit, this was more than that. What is it?" Mickey grabbed Ian's wrists and looked into his eyes as he spoke. Ian sighed. Mickey was serious.
"Look Mickey, I want this to be perfect. I don't want to let you down. You were out working and bringing in money, and I didn't want to be just some dumb bitch sitting around at home waiting for you to come back. I didn't want to let you down, after you were so fantastic yesterday getting us this place, and being able to move in on the same day you brought it up. I need to be good enough for you, Mickey". Mickey looked shocked for a minute and dropped Ian's hands.
"You don't think you're enough? You're nuts, Ian! I'm the one who has to work to keep up with you! You're always working hard at the store, helping out Fiona, keeping your family safe and not to mention keeping me from getting into trouble! It's me who doesn't deserve you! Not, don't argue, listen! You're the best thing in my life. Hell! The only thing in my life that I give a shit about. Colin from the bar has agreed to give me a go. I'm going to be washing dishes, a bit of security work, whatever it takes. I'm going to take care of you Ian". Ian could feel his jaw drop. Ian had always tried to be open about what he felt with Mickey, even in the early days when Mickey would threaten to hurt him when he did. But Mickey had never been this honest and open and vulnerable with Ian. Ian was stunned. They stared at each other for a long while before they did what they did best. Fucked.

Mickey always liked the way Ian looked after they'd fucked. A little sweaty, his eyes bright and red hair ruffled.
"Come on, I'm starving. Let's go get a sandwich or something and go shower at Fiona's. About time we went back to your family's place". Mickey stood up and offered a hand to Ian, whose legs wobbled getting up. Mickey was still a bit mad at him for working himself to the bone last night, but didn't say anything. Mickey saw Ian's raw knees and hands from when he'd been on his knees scrubbing.
"With knees like that, I'd usually expect my dick to be raw this morning". Ian looked down and smirked, giving Mickey a shove. Mickey shoved him towards the door and grabbed the backpack sitting on the floor. Pulling a can of carpet cleaner out of it Mickey discovered two apples sitting there.
"You on a fucking health kick now or whatever?" Mickey tossed one to Ian though, and pocketed the other.
"Hold on, Mick. Let me put this carpet cleaner down now and we can vacuum it up when we get home". Mickey laughed.
"You're so domestic Gallagher. Since when are you so forward-thinking about cleaning?" when Ian opened his mouth Mickey interrupted "I know I know, you want it to be perfect. Don't worry, I like this new you. Now let's get out of here I'm starving". Mickey slung an arm around Ian's shoulders and they walked down the stairs. They'd both done a lot of talking this morning, and seemed to be all talked out. They both enjoyed being able to walk down the street like this, and not feel judged. Sure, there were the occasional twats who commented, or old ladies looking at them funny, but not nearly enough to make them regret coming out. They munched on their apples, and ditched the cores at a passing car. When they passed an off-license they bought some donuts and a beer for Mickey, and a banana and an orange juice for Ian.
"Want a fucking straw with that?"
"Piss off, Mick."
When they got to the Gallagher's, V and Kevin were leaving with Liam, Debbie and Carl. Fiona was racing around trying to put earrings on while cleaning up their breakfast mess. Lip was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey boys, you've missed breakfast. I can't see your house today, but I'm excited to take a look. Maybe tomorrow? So glad you're growing up Ian!" She blew a kiss as she ran out the door. Ian laughed and immediately went to go wash up the dishes from their breakfast.

Mickey couldn't believe he'd missed it until now how often Ian wordlessly cleans up after his brother's and sisters. Mickey realised that was his role. Mickey understood that the Gallaghers all took care of one another, and all chipped into the household, but he'd only ever thought about it in terms of money.
"I'm going to take a shower, maybe pack some of our things from your room? Most of my stuff is still in that suitcase from when dad's place sold." Ian nodded and kept washing dishes. There wasn't much warm water left, after all the kids had gone through, and Mickey felt bad for using the last of it before Ian got a chance. When Mickey got out Ian had already started filling a duffel bag full of clothes and shoes. Turns out Ian didn't have that much stuff.
"Take the blanket and a couple of pillows, Fiona won't mind. And grab some toothpaste if they have any spare. Let me pay for a cab to drive to ours."
They split the cab fare, and even got the driver's help loading their stuff in and out of the cab. Ian insisted on vacuuming the place when they got there before they put anything inside. Mickey rolled my eyes but was secretly pleased at how well Ian had taken the whole idea, and how much care he was giving the place. They didn't have anywhere to unload their stuff to, so they lay the blanket down in the would-be bedroom, and piled the rest of the stuff in the bedroom corner. Ian insisted they scrub the walls of the living room and clean the kitchen which involved dragging the fridge out and cleaning behind it before putting it back again.
"What's the fucking point when you just put the thing back over the top again" Mickey grumbled, and contemplated for the 12th time leaving Ian to it and going to the bar. Ian kissed the top of Mickey's head and let the comment slide.

"Why don't you go get us some take-away. I'll finish the kitchen and tomorrow we can worry about things like furniture and cutlery. Take your time, I don't mind finishing this" Ian suggested. Mickey felt a little guilty, but not enough to stay, so he ran a hand through Ian's fiery hair and gave him a quick kiss. Jogging down the stairs, Mickey ran into a neighbour for the first time. A tall black guy with locks to his shoulders, the man gave a quick "hey" as he passed, and Mickey was too surprised to return the sentiment. Shaking this odd neighbourly greeting off, Mickey looked around the street. Not entirely sure where to go, he decided to head towards the Tesco's that he knew Ian had gone to yesterday. It was a huge store, and Mickey had the urge to fill his pockets and just run out, but he also wanted to make a fresh, more honest start with Ian. Maybe he'd have some of that "civic pride" Ian had once suggested and would steal from another suburb. Mickey sniggered to himself and feeling entirely uncomfortable and domestic, grabbed a trolley from out the front and wheeled it in, filling up with as many essentials as he thought he could carry. Mickey discovered that most older shoppers had a material trolley on wheels that they were carrying their shopping home in. Mickey scoffed, but as he thought more and more about how to get it home, he realised that he hadn't brought the backpack and maybe this Tesco's run was a bad idea. Mick saw the same backpack Ian had bought yesterday for £10 and threw it in the trolley. He didn't buy much food, and mostly stocked up on utensils for the kitchen, forks and knives and shit. He saw a saucepan and ladle and threw them in, thinking of baked beans for dinner. Knowing buying plates would be too heavy, he bought a packet of bright green plastic ones, clearly meant for kid's parties and the like. Going through the checkout Mickey saw a sign that was advertising a position to work on the registers.
"Hey, what kind of hours do you get working on the tills?" he asked the checkout girl, pointing at the sign.
"As much as you want. It's good money, and even better if you can work evenings and weekends. We're open 24 hours so they're always struggling to find new staff. You thinking of applying?" she asked, and pointed to the total amount on her screen "Cash or card?"
"Cash, nah not me. My boyfriend. We just moved in up the road."
"Boyfriend, huh? I can see from the plastic plates you've not been here long. It's not exactly the man in the uniform dream you're looking for, but it'll do. Tell you what, bring him down here Tuesday morning about 9ish and I'll put in a good word with the manager. What's your name?"
"I'm Mickey, and his name is Gallagher. Shit, I mean Ian."
"Ian and Mickey, alright. Well, catch you Tuesday Mickey. Enjoy your plates". Mickey nodded back to her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd chatted with a check-out chick, usually just gave a fuck you to storekeepers like Kash. When Mickey got back he pounded the door with the back of his hand,
"Open up idiot, it's me and my arms are about to fall off!" Ian opened the door wide and leaned against it with one arm up, holding the corner of the door. Fuck it was hot coming home to him. He was shirtless and sweaty from cleaning.
"Fuck it smells like a hotel bathroom in here, Gallagher. You've done a good job!"
"You've never been in a hotel bathroom in your life, Mickey. Now I don't smell take-out!" he smirked flinging the door shut.
"Waste of money, I thought we'd do beans instead." Mickey held up the bag he thought held the cans of beans. Mickey started to pack things away when Ian grabbed his hips and pushed him back so Mickey was leaning over the bench.
"Guess you missed me, huh Gallagher?" Mickey could feel Ian's quick fingers undoing his jeans and yanking them down. Mickey let out a long "fucccckkk" as Ian slipped one then two fingers in his ass. 'God I've missed this' thought Mickey 'Has it really been only hours since we last fucked?' There was no need to keep an ear out for the kids walking in, or worrying about whether one of Ian's brother's was going to be in the bedroom. When they both came, they stood there slumped for a few minutes before heading the bathroom to clean up.
"Now about those beans?" asked Ian.