Mickey still hadn't heard from Gallagher, he'd texted and called... Fuck, that bitch was the one who asked him to talk; though deep down he knew that that wasn't true. It was nearly 4, and Mickey had been waiting outside the Cash n Grab. He knew Gallagher was working, he could see him through the window. He was pacing, he was confused, what the hell was he doing - he wasn't gay...

He wasn't into guys, just this one. That didn't make him gay... How did he explain that? Why did he care so much if Gallagher knew that he'd been sleeping with his wife? As much as Mickey tried to convince himself of this, he kept being thrown under the bus and come out with the same answer. He was in love. He didn't just want to be fucked, he didn't just want to be with him every moment of every day, he wanted more. Needed more.

As Mickey walked towards the door he stopped. There was someone else inside, he couldn't talk to Gallagher with anyone else there. As much as he loved Gallagher, he knew that he couldn't tell anyone, he could barely tell himself. He was laughing, with another guy. His heart felt like it was going to burst, he wanted to be the one who made him laugh - but they hadn't laughed for a long time. It had been months since they could both laugh together.

As he looked at the red head he looked at his face - it was lit up, why the fuck was he so happy? What could they have been talking about? His eyes secretly looking at this stranger, hidden glances, smiles. It was the just way that Mickey used to look at Gallagher, hidden, secret, in the shadows, alone. Standing outside he realised that that was still the case, they'd never come any closer since that first meeting. Is that how Gallagher had been feeling all this time? Had he known this?

.

Nothing much... That had left the door open. Ian was enjoying the fact he could talk about his feelings, rather than pretending that it didn't exist. He and Cash used to check out the guys when they came in, laughed about it, somehow that's what was now happening with Danny. Acceptance.

"So you seeing anyone at the moment?" Ian said pricing up some cans at the till.

"No, there was a guy but he turned out to be a dick." Danny said, stacking the magazine shelves.

"Huh, how come?"

"He never wanted to be called my boyfriend. I've no problem with the closets, but I'm not going to be taken for granted." Danny said looking at Ian checking out his ass. "Like what you see, huh?"

"Erm..." Ian said suddenly looking away and dropping the can of tomatoes on his foot. "Aah."

"It'll be fine." Danny walked over to the till to check on Ian.

Mickey was at the door looking on rubbing the collar of his neck. Danny was right in front of Ian, they could feel each other's breath. Danny's hand gently allowing itself to touch Ian, and Ian willingly let it happen.

"Are you ok?" Danny said, his hand on Ian's chest.

Ian could hardly breath, "Erm... Yeah." He looked up and into Danny's blue eyes, he knew what Danny knew. They both wanted something, something that they could say out loud.

As Danny clenched the growing hair at the back of Ian's head, he came in for a kiss. It lingered in the air. Danny broke the kiss first, holding his head near enough to feel each other's breath. As Danny wet and bit his lip, Ian couldn't stop himself. He wanted more, needed to be needed. Before he could breathe again, the door opened. Somehow neither cared about what it might look like, it felt completely normal.

.

It happened, all in the space of a minute. Role reversal. Ian was smiling, looking into Danny's eyes; then he looked over his shoulder and there stood Mickey. He was looking around, out of place. Danny looked at Ian again, picking up the can of tomatoes off the ground before turning to face his customer.

"How can I help you?" Danny said as if the world hadn't just stopped.

"Can I talk to Ian?" Mickey said, trying his best not to punch this guy in the face.

"Sure, I've got some inventory to sort out." Danny said as he walked off. He knew who this was, Ian had been mentioning him. It was a minute before Ian turned to face Mickey, sorting out his foot.

"Thanks for last night." Ian said, he knew this side of Mickey. Everything is normal.

"I was trying to get in touch with you, to talk..." Mickey said, fear and anger building up inside him.

"Sure, go ahead." Ian was at least protected by the fact he was behind the counter.

"Erm..." Mickey was panicing... He couldn't do it here. Gallagher knew that, and he still put him in this position. Did he even care at all? "Lip suggested a film to catch later on, if you're up for it?" He could see Ian's eyes drifting away from him.

"Sorry Mick, I've already got plans tonight - what about tomorrow?" Why was Gallagher stabbing Mickey in the chest with a rusty blade?

"Sure." Mickey was holding back the tears, he was stronger than these fags.

Ian knew that Mickey wanted to know what he had just seen. "Anything else? I gotta get back to work." Ian said, he'd spoon fed him for long enough.

"Who's he?" Mickey almost whispered and shouted at the same time under his breath.

"Danny."

"Is he working here now?"

"Yeah, Amir has gone home. Danny is here to permanently replace him as the new store manager."

"Good replacement for towel head."

"What do you mean?"

"Well he's already getting his hands on the staff..." Mickey wanted to walk away, it would be so easy just to leave. One day ago he'd given Gallagher a phone, they'd talk... The very next day he'd been replaced.

"What do you care?" Ian knew that he should just let it go, but after the confusion of the last few weeks Ian needed to move on. Lip told him before Mickey got married to find someone new to fuck, well he'd finally taken some advice.

"Why do you think I'd care?" Mickey was in denial. He'd come so close to telling Gallagher how he felt, and now he was being thrown back. "Svet says hi by the way."

"Ok." Ian said, he knew what Mickey was doing. He didn't care.

"You told me to talk to her." Mickey stated, hoping to have his usual effect on Gallagher. "We didn't talk." Anger, if Lip needed his little perfect brother to know, this was the time.

"I know." Ian said, smiling.

He knew more than Lip or Mickey knew. Of course he knew he'd been fucking his wife. He'd known for months, never told. That was one of many things that lead to Ian feeling alone, abandoned. That's why he wanted to head off to the army. Not anymore. He was stronger now, stronger than Mickey could be.

"I know you've been fucking Svetlana. I know you fucked her last night. I know."

This was only making Mickey more angry, he'd been holding this secret in. Somehow the pain of that was made to seem pointless. "How'd you know?"

"I've just known. Last night I texted you to talk, but you never want to talk."

"What the fuck did you want to talk about then?" Mickey grabbed a Mars bar and began to slowly open it, anything to give him a distraction from the boy he loved and hated so much.

"It doesn't matter now. I've gotten over it."

"I can tell." Mickey said, looking over his shoulder at Danny. "Didn't take you long."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the crap we've been through the last few weeks. You not wanting me around you since the accident. You not wanting me to be alone with you, or wanting me to touch or ... or kiss you..." Mickey looked around suspiciously. "I can't believe you did it all because you'd moved on."

"Moved on?" Finally Ian had allowed his cool to heat up. "I haven't moved on..."

"What do you think I've been watching for the last half hour?"

"You've been outside stalking me?" Ian was getting creeped out. "If you'd actually looked you'd have seen we were working."

"Feeling each other up..."

Ian's eyes fell, he'd been caught. It was a mistake, but one that he was blessed to have. He'd found someone who wanted him, there was nothing wrong or disgraceful about that. It had only been a few hours at work, but somehow they were closer than he or Mickey had ever been in the last year.

"So does he take it up the ass?" Mickey wanted a reaction.

"We've never fucked... He only arrived today."

Somehow Mickey knew that that was true, but it didn't stop him. He was shocked at Gallagher's next words. "Do you let Svetlana fuck you in the ass?"