Mickey had been hovering his finger over the call button for the last 10 minutes. He needed to speak to him, needed to explain. He had nothing to be ashamed of, he was married. Would Gallagher expect him not to have done it? That was his life now, and after last night, he could have no excuses. Gallagher had been the one to tell him to talk to his wife, though he hadn't actually talked much.

Having decided not to call simply because he didn't know what he could say. Had Lip already told him? Would he really do that to his brother? He simply picked up his phone and texted Gallagher.

Meet at alibi after work to talk?

After 2 minutes waiting to see his phone light up, many things went through his head. Gallagher already knew, and had known for a while? Gallagher had been told, and decided not to respond for a while? Gallagher didn't know, but was still pissed off since last night? Gallagher didn't know and just hadn't seen his phone... Before he could decide what to believe he almost crapped his pants as his phone rang in his hand.

"Hi." Mickey said without looking to see who had called.

"Hi Firecrotch." Lip fucking Gallagher.

"Fuck do you want?" Mickey secretly cursed himself, he knew that if he needed time, Lip was the one to give it. "Seen Ian yet?"

"Yes." For some unknown reason Lip was reluctant to say a single word more than he needed to.

"And?" Mickey waited for a response that would never come. "How did he take the news?"

"What you doing later?" Lip wanted to play his little game. It wasn't often he had someone like Mickey Milkovich eating out of the palm of his hand.

"Why? Hoping to speak to Ian then. I've told him to meet me for a drink at the Alibi." Mickey explained, which went down like a lead balloon.

"No. No way. The last thing he needs to be doing is drinking with you alone." Lip finally had enough, "I'm sure the last thing you want is a drunk teenager like Ian telling the whole of the Southside that he's got feelings for you... In public."

Mickey hadn't thought this through. Lip knew Ian too well, he'd always been touchy feely when he'd been drinking. For a while Mickey had just thought it was because he fancied him so much - no, it was just the way Gallagher expressed himself. Man, woman or cuddly bear... As soon as he'd start drinking he didn't know how to switch the volume down or put the hands down either.

"We're just meeting there to head on." Mickey tried to get away with another plan... "We're heading to the cinema... And for something to eat."

.

It was 2 o'clock, Ian had been laughing and talking all day. He'd forgotten that he had a phone and hadn't been checking it. He glanced at it to find a message from Mickey. He'd wanted to meet up and talk about last night, somehow that seemed a little boring from what Ian was currently doing. It had seemed like days since last night.

When Ian arrived 4 minutes early, he turned up to find someone new in the store. A replacement? No, it wasn't a replacement. It was a new member of staff, since Amir had to go back home, Yvonne had decided to replace Cash at last. Danny was 23, tall with bright blue eyes that dazzled over his short dark hair. More importantly he "Could sell the vodka legally" during the night shifts, because there had been more and more cops around.

They had been laughing for hours, telling each other their own stories. It was as Ian was sat at the till that Danny was changing the porno mags as they gave each other knowing looks, it was some taboo in the Southside. Somehow this shop, this particular shelf seemed to allow perverts and homos to come together. Danny was bisexual, which after 20 minutes of arguing, Ian still decided wasn't right...

"There's no such thing as Bi... It's just laziness." Ian said, still laughing. He had literally never felt so comfortable about talking about things... He never mentioned names, just shared experiences.

"Nah, it's just that I'm not as interested as you in looks..." Danny said, looking at Ian when he turned away, wanting to know every detail.

"The best shit gets the flies..."

"So what are you doing later? I'm supposed to be heading out." Danny wanted to get to know Ian more. Was he going to be able to dance? No. Was he going to have a good time? Yes.

"Nothing much..." Ian said giving Danny a knowing look, his diary would be cleared...