She would always remember the night when Ian came home and finally looked something like happy again. Later he told her that he worked things out with Mickey. It had lead to a long talk between them and they had spoken about all the shit in their lives. Ian had asked if Mickey could stay with them since Carl and Debbie were out of the house and she had told him that even if they weren't Mickey would be more than welcome to stay because he was. They fought and were both stubborn as fuck but Ian and Mickey loved each other and the only other couple where she saw that kind of love was between Kev and V. Ian had called around and one day she had stumbled over a guy measuring out their shower when she was about to take one. They had gotten a ramp for the stairs of the porch and Ian had spent hours with moving all their stuff around in order to make it possible for someone in a wheelchair to move around in the house.
She put eggs into the pan on the stove and turned it on. God, she was hungry. Her glance met the pile of paper sitting on the table in front of her. Waiting to be looked through and checked. She closed her eyes, trying to hide from the upcoming work when she heard the front door opening. She turned around and saw Ian entering the house. Behind him was Mickey.
He looked exactly the way she remembered him, the same short black hair, of course the same tattoos, the same blue jacket. Only that he was sitting in a wheelchair now. When she stepped closer she could also see that his eyes were different. Less hard, more hurt but at the same time somehow... calmer. He looked at her almost shyly and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Mickey would tell her to fuck herself if he knew that she had pity for him so she quickly put on a smile.
"Hey", she said and hugged her little brother. Then she turned to Mickey, not sure what to do but decided to just go for it and she hugged him as well. "Welcome back", she said when she let go and he actually sort of smiled when he answered, "Thanks. Good to be back." There was an awkward silence for about five seconds until she tried to break the ice by asking, "Anyone hungry? I'm making eggs." "Sounds good", Ian said and Mickey nodded so she went back to the kitchen before said eggs could burn. While she was cooking breakfast she couldn't stop herself from glancing behind her from time to time. Ian helped Mickey out of his jacket and sat down at the couch while Mickey took a spot next to it. They were talking but it was too quiet for her to understand.
About ten minutes later she had made enough eggs for all of them and called them to join her at the table. She pushed the papers to the side so they would have enough room to put the plates on the table and eat.
"Holy shit Fi, what's all this?", Ian asked and pointed at the mess of documents she had pushed away.
"Uh, just shit from Patsy's and the laundromat. Gotta look through it."
"Looks like fun."
"Uh-um", she said around a mouthful of eggs.
Mickey remained silent but she didn't miss Ian's hand reaching under the table and squeezing his thigh. He seemed so insecure and it reminded her of the time they had visited Ian in the psych ward and Mickey had been scared shitless by the way the sedated Ian behaved. Now he waswwas the one who was sick. It was like all the progress Mickey had made in terms of accepting himself for who he is and not hiding anymore was gone.
As soon as they were finished Fiona put the dishes away and sat down at the table again to finally get some work done. Mickey and Ian occupied the living room and started watching some stupid movie. She smiled when she saw them on the couch, leaning against each other. Ian had arranged a shitload of blankets around them. "Mickey's always cold since...", Ian had told her a couple weeks ago.
Two hours later she had barely made any progress and was getting frustrated so she decided to take a break and do some grocery shopping. The eggs had been the last edible thing in the house.
"Where are you going?", Ian asked as she passed the couch.
"Costco."
"Do you want me to-"
"No thanks."
"Okay."
She could have used some help but Ian and Mickey looked too damn cute to make Ian come with her.
--
Mickey dozed off twenty minutes after the movie had started. Ian couldn't help the smile creeping up his face as he watched his sleeping boyfriend. Mickey was laying half on top of him, head on his chest, arms loosely wrapped around his torso while Ian had put one hand on Mickey's head, slowly stroking through the black hair. He would have laid there forever but eventually he couldn't ignore certain needs which were having to pee and taking his meds so he tried to untangle himself from the blankets and Mickey's limbs around him without waking him up. Of course it didn't work.
"Sorry", he whispered as Mickey opened a sleepy eye. He mumbled something that sounded like "The fuck are you doing" and Ian responded, "taking a piss" before he got off the sofa and went upstairs.
When he came back the couch was empty and the wheelchair gone. Where the hell was Mickey? Ian looked towards the kitchen and spotted him sitting at the table bending over Fiona's numbers.
With a whimsical smile on his face Ian walked behind him and leant over his shoulders. "Since when are you interested in this shit?"
"I'm not. Just fucking bored." Ian didn't believe him but decided not to push. Instead he said, "Well, since you're busy I'm gonna shower." Mickey just nodded and Ian rolled his eyes before he placed a kiss on Mickey's head and went upstairs again.
Mickey spent all afternoon with his new found work and Ian couldn't stop grinning as he was writing a shitload of numbers down, the calculator resting untouched next to him because he didn't need it. Ian was impressed. He had known Mickey was way smarter than he would admit but he hadn't thought that he would be such a math crack. While he was doing the laundry and cleaned the kitchen acting all housewifely he had an idea. Since the day he had managed to get Mickey to forgive him, he had tried to think of something Mickey could do in order to make a living. His days of scams and dealing were clearly over beside the fact that Ian liked it better if Mickey stayed out of this kind of shit. He knew Mickey would hate the idea of sitting around all day doing nothing. Relying on other people in terms of a home, money and help. Ian couldn't erase the fact that Mick needed help but he could do something concerning a job. He would talk to Fiona and Kev first but he was sure they would like his idea.
It was nearly 6pm when Fiona came back, carrying tons of bags filled with groceries. Ian quickly took them from her and placed them in the kitchen, were Mickey was still working through the papers, before heading outside with her to get the rest of the bags.
"Uhm Fiona?"
"Yeah?"
"You saw Mick looking through your work shit?"
"No. Why? He better not make a mess."
"I think he's actually getting it in order and calculating."
"What?"
"Yeah and I thought maybe... he could do all your accounting. And Kev's. I mean he would help out both of you. Kev and V have been struggling since Svetlana left and he would have something to do since-"
"I think that's a great idea."
"Yeah? Cool, I'm just gonna go to-"
"Would I have to pay him?"
"Uhm-"
"Kidding, of course I will."
Ian smiled. "Thanks, I just think it would help him with... everything."
"Yeah, I hope so too." She patted his shoulder Ian hesitated but asked anyway.
"Hey, can Kev and V come with the kids? So Mick can see Yev?"
"Tell them to get their asses over here", Fiona said grinning.
