It was nearly 5:30 when Mickey finally headed back home, he had finished the vodka hours ago. He had sat where he knew Gallagher had been only a few hours ago, he held his phone sitting on the cold ground. He was now only 2 minutes away from his home, he needed to get a shower, change of clothes and some food. In an hour Gallagher would be gone, with no chance of a redemptive explanation. Mickey was pinning all his hopes on catching him when he showed up to enlist. Tired, he was so tired. As he got in, he sat down on the warm sofa for a minute. Mandy and Lip had gone to sleep earlier, he was the sole person thinking about Gallagher.

As his eyes started to give way, despite the fact that his mind was racing, he was slowly lulling himself to sleep. Then suddenly, he heard a creek, a door opening and closing over. It was almost silent, but having grown up in the Milkovich house you got used to being insanely alert. Mickey turned on the sofa to see the shadow opening the door, as he did so the moonlight lit up his face.

"Don't"

Ian Gallagher, didn't expect anyone to be here, especially at this time of the morning. He was banking on Mickey and Mandy staying out to find him. He hadn't expected one of them to come back home, especially since he was about to leave. Like a kid getting caught at the Cash n Grab, and being caught by Mickey Milkovich as you're walking out the door. His voice was more assured than when he used that word earlier, it seemed like days ago it had only been hours. He somehow thought it would have been more angry. It wasn't, and that killed him. Ian was still looking out the door, unwilling to turn back.

"What are you doing here?" Mickey finally was able to ask.

"I guessed it would be the one place no one would look for me. It don't matter now anyway." Ian almost silently replied.

"I should have fucking known it. When did you break into my fucking house?"

"Is that really what you want to talk about? Try and delay me a while, cause it aint gonna work. My minds made up." Ian tried to insist.

"Really? I'd have thought if you didn't want to be seen, if you honestly believed that you were certain, you'd have been more careful about getting caught." Mickey got up off the sofa somehow, he was so tired, if Gallagher had started to make a run for it, there would be no competition who'd win.

"We all make mistakes." Ian said plainly to Mickey. He slowly allowing himself to turn around, not leaving the door, and started looking him up and down. He had clearly been crying, or maybe he had just gotten something in his eyes.

"Why? Why do you have to say things like that? Did you think getting married was a mistake?" There was no reaction from Ian, but at least he was absolutely still. "I didn't have a choice, it was getting married or getting shot."

"We could have gone away, made a run for it. You didn't want to be stopped, as much as I don't want to be." Ian looked around the room, had it only been weeks since they had fucked on that sofa?

Just as Ian said that, the snow began to fall outside, Mickey walked over to Gallagher. They looked at each other more and more, noticing every detail as if it were the last time they would see each other. Ian noticed that Mickeys body was covered in dust, probably sitting in it somewhere, a small cut around his hand... That was new... The newly forming bruises... The tired and longing look from his eyes, the mud on his arm, the spike in his hair... This is what he didn't want any more. This is what he needed.

Mickey looked at Gallagher, wearing warm clothes, with his back pack over his shoulder. He noticed the circles around his eyes, he knew he was a bitch for crying and hoped that Gallagher hadn't noticed his own mark. He noticed the red hair in the moonlight as a few flakes of snow began to come inside. He noticed that he kept his hands to himself, like an abused dog flinches. It made his skin crawl that that's what his involuntary decisions had done. He looked up into his eyes, and stood silently, as he dried his mouth.

"What do I have to do?" Mickey said, as he inched ever closer, the cold making his skin freeze, but no less than the remaining drops of vodka in his system.

"Nothing." Ian allowed himself one glance away from Mickey before he had to see him again.

"What do you want me to do?" Mickey said, as he was almost close enough to reach out to him.

"Nothing." Ian couldn't help but notice Mickey now. Fear was in his eyes, he knew what he was doing. This fucking sexy monster, who already had his heart, and now wanted more.

"What can I do to help?" Mickey now could feel Gallaghers breathe. Could smell the fresh smell of deodorant.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?

"Just..."

"Just what?" Mickey now was reaching his hand to Gallaghers neck.

"Don't." Was all Ian could say, before he knew it Mickey had a hold of him.

"Don't what?" Mickey said, feeling better than ever since his wedding. He hadn't touched him since, he moved his mouth towards Gallaghers neck, slowly but confidently allowed himself to taste his skin. Dumping his back pack on the ground, Mickey pulling Gallagher in closer than he knew he should.

"You don't love me." Gallagher had said the one thing that Mickey had not expected, hadn't prepared himself for. "You don't love me, but don't be scared."

"What the fuck do you mean? I aint scared of anybody." Mickey suddenly shot backwards, he thought for just a moment, being close together might buy him some time. No, that was never going to be enough, not for Ian Gallagher.

"Who are you more afraid of? Me, your dad or yourself?" Why was Gallagher fucking with his head, he was wide awake now with the cold air and the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"I told you, I aint scared of anyone."

"You're not gay, but somehow you were just licking my neck. For what?" Ian couldn't help but speak his mind now. He needed to finish the mission and head out. He still had to deal with Mandy and Lip yet. "Needed the salt? Are you a secret vampire? Did you need to clean my skin with your tongue?"

"Shut the fuck up." Mickey was getting really irritated now. He didn't want to hear this, not now, not since he was so close. He could slowly feel himself falling backwards into a black hole, one which he couldn't get out of.

"Queer-bo sex, but you're not a fag? You only take it up the ass, but you're not a bitch? Married to a woman, but you miss the cock!" Ian said. Before he knew it he was on the ground clutching his face. Mickey had finally seen red, he knew he loved Gallagher, but he couldn't bear to hear it spoken out loud. The only way to shut him up was to do the only thing he knew how...

"Ah... Fag!" Ian whimpered, but didn't want Mickey to stop beating him. With every new kick or punch came another name, another label. Yes this man who he loved would have to deal with it alone. Just before Ian blacked out, he took one last look up at the sky, the moon and the snow, and finally into the face of Mickey Milkovich...

Mickey had stopped, tears streaming down his face, blood everywhere. The noise had woken up his dad. This was not good, this was not good at all.