Part Fifty-Seven: Mood Swings

"I am fucking sick and tired of all your shit on my side of the room," I yell at Carl. I throw and kick his clothes and weapons at him. "Keep your porn on your side. I want to look at all the tits."

"I don't want to look at dicks all the time but you don't hear me bitching about it."

"Pick it up!" I shout, throwing the dirty magazine at him. He dodges it.

"What the fuck is going on?" Lip asks.

"Ian has gone crazy," Carl says. I punch Carl, hard, twice and he trips over Liam, who is playing on the floor, and hits his head on the wall.

"Ian, what the fuck?" Lip asks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him," I say suddenly feeling my own heart pounding in my chest. I try to help Carl up.

"I don't know what you're fucking on but this stops now," Lip says.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mickey asks. He is wearing his jacket and panting like he's trying to catch his breath. He looks at me. "Ian?"

"I didn't mean it," I say. "Carl, I'm sorry."

"He's bleeding. Good job, Ian," says Lip. I try to approach my little brother but Lip holds his hand out to stop me. "Carl, go downstairs and have Debbie clean you up. Take Liam."

"I'm sorry, Lip," I say. I am shaking and I don't know why.

"What'd I miss?" Mickey asks trying to get our attention.

Lip turns on me the moment Carl and Liam have gone. He shoves me and I stumble into my bed. I could fight back. I can take Lip. But I let him shove me around until Mickey pulls him off me.

"I don't know what kind of fucking drugs you're on but if you ever hit Carl again I'm going to kick your ass out."

"He didn't mean it," says Mickey.

"I didn't ask for your fucking opinion, Mickey. You don't live here and this is none of your business. Just because my brother puts his dick in your ass doesn't make you a part of this."

"Say that again and I'll kick your ass."

I wedge between them and out the door. I punch the wall in the hallway and punt one of Liam's toys down the stairs. I hear heavy footsteps behind me, but I don't stop. I walk out the back door and slam it behind me.

I get a few blocks before Mickey catches up to me. He is out of breath and holding out my jacket and shoes, which I just realized I forgot. He has my hat and gloves in his hand.

"It's cold, please take them," Mickey says.

"I didn't mean to hit him," I tell Mickey.

"Are you on drugs?"

"No. Why does everyone ask me that?"

"You really scared me back there," Mickey says.

"Why does everyone hate me?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? No one hates you, Ian."

"Fiona and Lip never came after me when I was gone. The way Lip looked at me back there; he's never looked at me like that. He hates me, I know he does."

"Ian," Mickey says, "No one hates you. If they do, fuck them."

Mickey pulls me into a hug. We don't hug much. In fact, we don't really hug at all, but we are now. I hug Mickey and breathe in his scent. I tilt his face toward mine and he wipes a tear off my cheek. I kiss him lightly for coming after me.

"I'm going to apologize to Carl," I say.

Mickey nods. I walk to my house. Carl is sitting at the dining room table with Debbie. She is trying to help him out. Lip pats me on the back and pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"You don't hate me?"

"What? Of course not," Lip says, "What the fuck did you tell him, Mickey?"

"Nothing. That's all on him," Mickey says.

"Carl, I'm sorry," I tell my little brother. I kiss top of his head. He wipes it off.

"Yeah, just don't kiss me."

"Why did you punch Carl?" Debbie asks.

"I don't know," I have no answer. It's not something I thought about doing. It just happened. I was mad and I hit him.

"When Fiona comes back, we won't tell her," says Debbie.

"Yeah, man, we can keep this one thing from her," says Lip.

"You're a making a big deal out of nothing," I say.

"Ian, you broke Carl's nose," Lip says.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Lip."

"I know you didn't, Ian. That's not the point. Anyways, I have a class to get to. Debbie, can you drop Liam off at Sheila's?"

"I can watch him," I say.

"Its okay, Ian," says Debbie.

"Mickey and I can watch him," I insist.

"Yeah, like leaving him with a Milkovich is a good idea," says Lip.

Mickey flips Lip off.

"He has a kid."

"The other day Mickey helped Iggy incinerate a fucking body and you're telling me he's capable of baby-sitting our little brother?"

"You told him," Mickey asks Carl.

"It was too awesome not to tell," Carl says.

I watch Debbie dress Liam to go. I insist on helping watch him. He's my brother too. Mickey keeps trying to make plans for the day of stuff we could do without Liam with us, but I have ideas of stuff we can do with Liam.

"You're not watching him," Lip says.

"Why not?"

"Because you're on something and I don't trust your judgment," Lip says. "Fiona was on coke when Liam ended up in the hospital. I'm not risking that again."

And then Debbie takes him and leaves. Lip and Carl leave too. It's just me and Mickey in the kitchen. I kick the trash can in frustration.

"I'm not on drugs. I haven't done any since that night you found me at the Fairy Tail."

"We're alone," Mickey says.

"So what?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

I chase Mickey upstairs. Since we're alone I don't bother shutting the door. It takes me less time to get Mickey out of his clothes than it does for him to get me out of mine. The sex is great. Mickey begs me to do it face to face. I kiss and bite every part of him that I can see.

"You're so beautiful," I tell Mickey as I appreciate him. He bites my shoulder as I thrust in and out. It gets harder and faster. Mickey seems to like what I'm doing from all the noises he's making. I delay his gratification as much as I can by pulling out of him before he comes and making him hold it. Finally I go down on him and he shoots off in my mouth.

"Fuck," Mickey says.

I kiss his cheek and lay on top him. He shifts me until I am in a position to cuddle. Mickey stares into my eyes. "We couldn't have done this with Liam here," He says as he lights up. He kisses me on the lips for a moment then goes back to his cigarette.

"I wanted to take him to Chuck 'E' Cheese and then to the park. I know its winter, but we could have a good time," I say.

"Wait for spring when it's warmer, Ian. It'll be better."

"For you maybe," I say.

"What do you say, Tough Guy, want a go a second round?" Mickey asks tickling me.

Mickey and I do it four times before we hear movement in the house. We quickly dress, but can't keep our hands off each other. We play fight as we dress. Sammi, Frank's long-lost daughter comes in.

"It's Ian, right?" Sammi asks. Mickey is hiding his face from her. He doesn't want her to see him. I roll my eyes. "How did you get in here?"

"Door was unlocked. Dad is dying," Sammi says, "I wanted to tell everyone. He's probably not going to make it. I have to go to the hospital. Sheila asked me to bring Liam back."

Liam smiles at me. I kneel down to hug him. I get to watch him after all. Mickey and I dress warmly to go out with Liam. It's super cold. We take Liam on the bus. He sits between us. Mickey and I hold hands behind him. Several women gawk. He doesn't seem to notice the attention.

"Mick," Liam says.

Mickey raises an eye brow and looks down. Liam is looking at Mickey and smiling widely.

"Why did he say my name?" Mickey asks.

"I don't know. But he seems to like you. Liam, if Mickey and I get married someday will you be my best man?"

"Yes," says Liam.

We get off at a place for kids to play. Liam doesn't immediately socialize with the other children. He clings to my leg the whole time. Mickey stands around with his arms folded looking grumpy and every bit the overprotective father.

"Your son is so cute. What agency did you use to adopt?" asks a man with blond hair and glasses. "I'm here for my sister's son's birthday party. I don't have any of my own."

"He's my brother," I tell them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to assume. I thought you were a couple. I'm Chad. Do you want to grab a drink somewhere?"

"What? No, I'm here with—"

"You need to fucking leave," Mickey says taking the guy by the collar. "Get the fuck out of here."

"You said he was your brother," says Chad.

"No, he's my brother," I say picking up Liam.

Mickey forces Chad to put at least fifteen feet between us. Chad gets the idea and leaves, but he doesn't stop staring at me all day while Liam plays and we have extra helpings of pizza. I glance over at Liam every so often to make sure he hasn't wandered off.

"I'm about to gouge that asshole's eyes out," Mickey says.

"Let it go, Mick."

"Too many men look at you," Mickey says.

"Well, well," says a familiar voice. It's Linda. She's holding a baby on her hip. Her boys are running around within the play area. I spot Liam playing by himself. I frown. "Is this a date?"

"No. I just wanted to bring my little brother," I say.

"You're still not admitting you're in a relationship. I can play along, even though it's literally fooling no one. Ian, you look great. I almost didn't recognize you. I saw his scowl and knew it was Mickey but you look so different."

"Where's Liam?" I ask suddenly looking over and not seeing him. Fear and panic take hold and everything becomes really blurry. I rub my eyes as I stand up. I stumble over the table. Mickey stabilizes me. "Where the fuck is my brother?"

"We'll find him, Ian. Calm down," Mickey says calmly. He has his hand on my arm.

I run into the play zone against the protests of the employees. Mickey chases after me. I start looking around for my little brother. Mickey disappears for a moment when I turn around. I search for my brother frantically. A woman is pulling on my arm to get my attention. Mickey finally reappears holding Liam.

"You gave me a mini heart attack," I tell Liam as I kiss the side of his face. "Where was he?"

"In the ball pit with some bigger kids," Mickey says.

"You have to leave," says an employee.

"Fuck off," Mickey tells her as he tries to comfort me.

"Take your son and go," says the woman.

"What part of fuck off didn't you understand?" Mickey asks.

"I'll call the police," the woman says.

"I've never hit a woman but I'm not above it."

"The police are on their way, we need you to step over here," says a woman wearing a tag that says, 'manager' Mickey and I follow her. I am carrying Liam. Inside the Manager's office Mickey leans against the wall with his arms crossed looking grumpy, and I sit in a chair in front of her desk with Liam on my lap.

"What's the problem?" asks a familiar voice. I look up at the face of Officer Tony Markovich. I smile. Really? That's the cop they send. It's always Tony.

"The fuck is Blond Ambition doing here?" Mickey asks.

"This young man was scaring the children in our play zone. Some of the mothers were complaining. They said he had a crazed look on his face."

"Ian?" Tony says as his face contorts into affection. Officer Tony had a soft spot for us Gallaghers and everyone knows it. He puts his hands on my shoulders which earns him a scowl from Mickey.

"They refused to leave," the manager says.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I was looking for Liam."

"Ma'am, I don't think Ian was trying to scare the kids. He was looking for his brother."

Tony gets us out of the mess. Mickey walks behind more like he's my body guard than my boyfriend. Tony doesn't pay attention to him and the feeling is mutual from Mickey. Tony gives us a ride back to my house. I hold Liam on my lap even though Tony cringes over the breaking the law, but he doesn't have a toddler seat.

"I have been running into you a lot lately," says Tony.

"It would seem so. I'm glad they sent you instead of someone who doesn't know us," I tell him. Mickey is looking out the window with his arms still folded across his chest. He is bouncing his knee. He obviously wants a cigarette. It must be driving him wild.

Tony drops us off at my house. He opens the back doors for us so we can get out of his squad car. I thank him and he pats me on the back which earns him another scowl from Mickey. When Tony leaves I round on Mickey.

"You know, you could act like you like me. You stood there like my bodyguard not my lover."

Mickey doesn't respond. He follows me into the house. Lip and Debbie approach us and take Liam from me. "Where the fuck have you been? Debbie went to pick up Liam from Sheila's and she said Sammi dropped him off with you. I've been worried sick."

"We went out for pizza. It's fine."

"No it's not fine. I told you that you don't get to watch him by yourself."

"But he's my brother too. I've always helped with Liam."

"Not any more. I don't know what drugs you're on, Ian, but until you're off them, no Liam."

"That's not fair. I'm not on drugs."

Lip turns his back to me and takes Liam. He ignores me. I hate it. We used to be so close. Now he doesn't trust me with my own family. I run upstairs away from Lip. I head for the bathroom immediately. I shut the door and punch the wall.

"Ian," says Mickey from the other side of the door. I slide down the door and sit on the floor with my back against it. I can hear Mickey do the same on the other side. He's talking to someone on the other side, but all I hear is "Fuck off."

"I'm not on drugs."

"Ian, fuck, I know. Lip's a fucking asshole. Everyone knows that."

I stand up and let Mickey in. He meets my lips in a kiss. Afterwards I see Lip over Mickey's head he's watching us and shaking his head. I meet Mickey in another kiss.

A/N: So…I am trying to ward off the later episodes of season 4. I haven't touched on the "Course We Are" yet or Ian nearly stabbing Kenyatta or Frank's wedding. I'm going a bit out of order, but I don't care. Um…I am trying to push off ending season 4 for a while because I want to stay in step with the show and we still have 45 or so days until season 5. I'm not going to make this last that long. However, when my inevitable hiatus does come I will have some other projects for you all. I will be updating "Precious Boy" and I have another Gallavich fic in the works and a series of one shots I'm working on called "Ian and Mickey Go to _" which each chapter is a different place they go on a date. But that's a ways off. We'll get through the show hiatus together. I'm with you 'til the end of the line.