Part Seventy-Seven: Catching Up to Do

I've been out of the hospital for three days, and its difficult adjusting to my schedule again. Every time I sneeze or cough someone freaks out.

Fiona has a new job at a place called Pasty's Pies. Her boss there is really good-looking. I guess that's why she hasn't shut up about him all morning.

"Sean has the best ass," Fiona says.

"Seriously, just fuck him already," I tell her as I drop a pork chop in the Ziploc bag and shake it around in the breading. When it's evenly coated I put it in the electric skillet that Mickey stole for us. He is off with his brothers. I think they're thinking of a way to earn more money.

"Speaking of fucking, were you and Mickey filming a porno last night? What the fuck were those sounds coming from the bathroom?"

I smile widely. Mickey and I may have made up for some lost time in the bathroom last night. We're not supposed to do it in my room because of Carl and Liam, but we didn't waste any time in the bathroom.

"Making up for lost time."

"Jesus, Ian. Either you're really good or Mickey is easy to please."

"Can we not talk about this?"

"About your porno," Lip says putting out his cigarette and picking up Liam.

"You heard?" Fiona asks.

"Nope. Saw the live show. Yeah, that's a mental image permanently burned into my brain."

"Should have knocked."

I lay out several pork chops and cover the electric skillet. I move on to the vegetables. We're having Brussels sprouts. Fiona is making salad and I want to have macaroni and cheese but she believes it will be too starchy.

Fiona is making biscuits from scratch. We work together to make dinner. I am making pork chops because Mickey likes them and I want to thank him for taking care of me while I was sick. Some grease from the pork chops pops and nearly scorches the hairs off my arm.

"You okay?" inquires Fiona.

"Yep."

Mickey comes home as dinner is finished. He kicks off his shoes and looks about to punch someone in the face. He sits down at the table and I hand him a beer before he can even ask for one. He thanks me, which gets him a scoff from Lip. I set the table. Debbie and Carl are arguing over puberty or some shit, I kiss Debs and punch Carl's arm.

"Mickey's still here?" Carl asks.

I sneeze. Everyone looks at me. I roll my eyes and continue setting the table. They stop watching me when a second sneeze doesn't follow. Everyone sits down together. I like it this way. I sit between Lip and Mickey. On one side, Lip is telling me about school; on the other side Mickey is quiet as a fucking mouse.

"These pork chops are unevenly cooked," Carl says. "Mine is burnt on one end and barely cooked on the other.

Ouch. Carl continues to bitch about my cooking and I reach a breaking point. I stand up, slam my fist on the table, and take his plate. "Fine, you don't have to fucking eat it."

"Ian," says Mickey.

"I'm sorry I ruined everyone's fucking dinner."

I storm off upstairs and kick my dresser. I tried. Mickey has obediently followed me. He put his pork chop on bread and is eating it like a sandwich. "I don't know what the fuck he's talking about. I think it's good."

"You're lying."

"Fuck off. I'm not lying. It's good."

"Don't patronize me, Mick. It's shit. I'm a shit cook. I wanted to do something nice for you but I ruin everything."

"Fuck, Ian. Not this fucking shit again. I thought maybe you were over that bull shit."

"What bull shit?"

"The bipolar thing."

"I'm not bipolar. I'm just pissed off."

"Fuck." Mickey takes a huge bite of his pork chop sandwich.

"Stop eating that stupid pork chop."

"Don't tell me what to do. I can eat it if I fucking want."

Mickey sits beside me on the bed eating his pork chop. I cross my arms across my chest. I just wanted to make everyone a nice dinner. Carl comes in.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I was teasing. They're really good."

"Yeah, they're good, Ian," says Lip, "Come back downstairs and let's eat."

"You told them to say that, didn't you?" I ask Mickey.

"What? No."

"Who made this? It's fucking delicious," says Kev with his mouth full of food.

"I didn't even know Kev was here," Mickey says, "Please stop being a little bitch and come downstairs."

"I'm sorry, what am I?" I ask.

"Fuck. Ian, I didn't mean it like that."

I shove Mickey. I push everyone out of my room and I slam the door in their faces. I start throwing Mickey's clothes and shit into a pillowcase and open the door. I toss it to him and ask him to leave me alone. The second I close the door Mickey opens it and is in my face. Lip, Carl, and Kev disappear downstairs, but not until Kev makes sure I can see him thump Carl in the back of the head.

"Get the fuck out."

"Don't tell me what to fucking do, Gallagher."

"Oh, so now we're back to Gallagher." Fuck you, Mickey.

"Until we get this fucking settled, yeah, you're Gallagher again. I'm going to talk, and you're to fucking listen. I have been by your fucking side since I came out in the Alibi. I have been through your ups and your downs, and I have been through your 'crazy' moments, but I fucking stayed by you. So why the fuck would you think I would lie to you about a meal you cooked for me? Carl was messing around. Your brothers are assholes. The only members of your family I can stand are Fiona, Debbie, and the black one—Liam, I think. Hey, I'm sorry I called you a little bitch, but you were acting like one."

I take Mickey's bag back from him and start emptying his clothes onto my bed. I kiss him on the top of his head to show I forgive him. He takes my hand and we go downstairs to eat together with my family. They waited for me.

"It really is delicious, Ian," says Fiona.

"I'm sorry I overreacted."

"I was kidding. You're my brother; I don't get to tease you?" Carl asks.

Everyone is silent on the subject. I feel like I'm missing something. I dig into my pork chop. It is good. I slap the back of Carl's head. Lip laughs and does it too. He rubs my shoulder. They were only joking about it.

After dinner, Mickey and I have a major make out session in my bedroom. Mickey stops it half way to talk about some of our issues as a couple. While I'm happy he wants to address them, I want to make out some more. I tangle my hand in his shirt and put the other behind his neck. I pull him in and meet his lips.

Mickey grinds against me. I feel the erection starting to form in my jeans. Mickey fumbles to unbutton my pants. I moan softly as he bites my bottom lip. Mickey does something he's not done much, and that's give me a rim job.

Mickey teases me by fingering my ass. I raise an eye brow and he smiles. I let him continue. It does feel fucking good. Mickey lathers up his finger and sticks it in. I bite his lip to convey my pleasure. Mickey slides in another finger.

"Oh fuck," I squeak.

It feels good. I hadn't bottomed in so long I forgot what it was like. Mickey puts his mouth on my erect dick and starts to suck while inserting another finger into me. I moan loudly then hiccup. Mickey grins but doesn't stop sucking.

"Ew," says Carl coming in the room. We don't stop. I'm not sure we can stop. It disturbs me greatly that Carl stands there watching for quite a long time. "Jesus, get the fuck out!" I growl at Carl.

"No way, I finally know where the gay wieners go," says Carl.

"Carl," Lip says, "Fuck. Shut the fucking door next time." Lip drags Carl away and shuts the door behind him. Mickey makes me come so hard into his mouth. He runs to the bathroom to spit while I pull my pants up. I can barely move.

"Shit, Mickey," I tell him. I sneeze twice. Mickey pins me down and takes my temperature.

"98, I was just checking."

"Stop worrying. That was amazing," I whisper as I kiss him.

During the night, Mickey and I touch each other quietly. He tries to moan so I put my hand over his mouth. Mickey and I find a way to do it without waking Carl or Liam. We hear the bunk bed move and stop. I put my finger to my lips and shush Mickey.

"Is he jerking off?" Mickey whispers.

"Carl?" I ask.

"If you two can fuck in here I can jerk off," Carl argues. Can't argue with that logic. I get up and reach up to Carl's bed and poke him in the gut.

"Please tell me you're not getting off to us."

"Megan Fox," Carl points at his ceiling.

I check on Liam. He's snoring softly. I kiss him and then get back in bed with Mickey. I want to cuddle, he doesn't. Sometime during the night, I get up. I put on my shoes and go for a run outside. It's still dark, but I can't sleep.

I run until the sun comes up. I turn around and run home. Mickey and Fiona are smoking on the porch. I know they were waiting for me. "What's going on?" I ask.

"Fiona and I talked, and you and I are going back to my place. Get your shit."

I pack. I'm happy to return home with Mickey. Mickey walks beside me back to his house. We hold hands. Some lady stares too long and Mickey tells her to fuck off, but doesn't let go of my hand. Mickey's brothers are still there. I get a little nervous and stand a little closer to Mickey.

"Hey," says Colin eyeballing me like I'm a fucking piece of meat.

"Why the fuck is he still here?" Mickey points at Kenyatta.

"I won't be for long. If I get this job I'm moving to Indiana."

"Good. Bye." Mickey walks around the house as if he's searching for something. He goes in every room twice. I turn in circles trying to follow his train of thought, but I can't. I stop him. He's a little frantic.

"Where's Ryan?"

"Fat ass moved back in with his mother," Jamie says, "He apparently didn't like us. He called us psychos and packed his shit and left. He went home to his mommy."

"Fuck," whispers Mickey.

It takes Mickey all of ten minutes to decide something I decided on the moment it was said. He wants to track Ryan down. I decide to go with him. Mickey protests, but he can't stop me. We don't speak on the train. Does he even know where Ryan lives?

Ryan's house is in a quiet suburb. I knew he wasn't Southside. I never expected this. Mickey and I don't belong here. We look like white trash. There are no sirens, no trash on the street, no graffiti, no Frank passed out on the lawn. It's quiet.

Mickey raps on the door until someone answers. It becomes obvious Mickey has no patience for social graces. I step up and do the talking. The kind woman at the door looks frightened. Mickey steps aside so that I am the only one in her view. She is a little warmer to me than Mickey.

"Ryan is not going back to that Hell hole. He's been through enough. It's all Mickey's fault. Which one of you is Mickey?" Mickey flips her off. She sighs. "You stay away from my son."

"Fuck off, Lady." Mickey physically moves me out of the way and shoulder-pushes his way into her home. He doesn't care that he knocks Ryan's mom over. I can tell by the look on Mickey's face that he wants to rob the place. I wait until I'm invited in.

"Have a seat," she tells me. I sit on the couch while Mickey explores the house for Ryan.

"Mickey, don't."

"Hey Ryan, get your fat fucking ass down here."

Ryan comes out of his room wearing a big smile. I watch him and Mickey hug. Mickey's not that open or affectionate with anyone. It's nice to see that Ryan has entered his heart.

"You don't need me anymore," Ryan tells Mickey.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't belong on the Southside, Mick. I belong here. You have Ian, your life. I don't fit in with it. This is the way it has to be. You've learned everything you can from me."

"Learned from you? Whatever the fuck you say, Yoda."

"Free you are. Be your own person, you must," Ryan says in a dead on impersonation of Yoda. Mickey actually smiles.

"You're my friend, alright. You're family," Mickey says. I want to cry. Mickey is so sweet. "That's permanent."

"Thanks, Mick. I'll come visit."

Mickey pats Ryan on the shoulder and then we leave before Ryan's mom calls the cops. I catch Mickey trying to steal something expensive and make him put it back. On the bus ride back I see a tear fall down Mickey's cheek before he can catch it. I take his hand.

I kiss him on the side of his face. I know how he's feeling right now. But Ryan was right in a lot of ways. Mickey doesn't need him to guide him anymore. He's right where he needs to be.

A/N: I had to write Ryan out, believe me, not an easy choice to make. He served his purpose. He was supposed to be Mickey's Jiminy Cricket. He was there to guide Mickey to Ian. Ian always had Lip to confide in, Mickey didn't have that so I wrote him a confidant. That time has passed. Ryan might pop up again when season 5 rolls around, but for now this might be the last we see of him.