Bloody Knuckles • Gallavich

Poisoned Youth

"Cause you're a queer," Braydon chimes in, culling his hands around his mouth to make it sound louder. Mickey shoots him a deadly glare. A glare that even made his friends shut up because they knew he was being serious. Braydon lets out an exaggerated sigh and bites into his sandwich. "We're just messing you but like always you gotta ruin the fun," he jokes. "But don't worry, I'll try to keep that bitch from running her mouth anymore."

Mickey nods. For once he was grateful that he had sat with Braydon and the others instead of Ian. Not because he liked them better, no. But because he knew that Braydon would actually do something to stop Samantha from saying things about him. Sure Mickey would normally handle it on his own but he didn't want to act like he cared as much about it as he actually did. Because in all honesty, the "lie" was beginning to eat him alive. The whole first half of the day he had been jittery with anxiety because the only thing on mickeys mind was, Terry. His dad would no doubt beat on him until he couldn't think straight if he even got a whiff that his son might be gay.

And as Mickey sat there and his friends slipped back into their usual conversation of parties and girls, Mickey couldn't even seem to pretend to be interested this time. Instead, his mind was bringing up terrifying what if sceneries that could possibly happen between him and his father.

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Mickey came home from boxing that night full of anger. He had lost again in the ring since he couldn't seem to get his thoughts in order. He had a split lip, a cut on his eyebrow and his hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. He dropped his bag down next to the door and looked over into the kitchen where he heard laughter. Terry was sitting at the kitchen table with Matthew. He was a skinny yet tall guy with stringy white and grey hair that hung in loose curls to his shoulders.

Terry looks over at his son as he sets his beer down on the table, but luckily he doesn't ask Mickey to join him like the time before. Mickey walks over to them anyways to grab a beer. He tugs open the fridge but as his elbow comes back, it connects with Terry's beer and knocks t backward. The contents of the container immediately run off the table and onto Terry's lap. Mickeys eyes go wide as he turns to face his dad.

"Dad I... I didn't mean to," he says, trying to keep his cool. Terry stands up with such force that his chair falls backward.

"What the fuck, Mickey!" He says. He reaches out to grab Mickey by the throat and slam him back against the wall "You spilled my fucking beer all over me."

"It was an accident," Mickey says, his voice starting to fill with anger. For once he wasn't scared of Terry. He felt rage and anger towards the man as he screamed in his face. He clenched his fists down at his side as he glared back at his father. "Get the fuck off of me."

Terry stares daggers at him. "What did you just say to me, boy? You use that tone with me again and I'll knock your teeth in."

Mickey felt the anger bubble up in his chest to the point where he couldn't hold it back anymore. He reaches his fist back and slams it into Terry's face. "Terry!" His friend yells as he hurries over to him. Terry shoved the scrawny man to the side as he stands up.

"I'm going to kill you!" He yells. He grabs Mickey by the throat and squeezes tightly. Mickey grabs at his hands to try and get away but his grip was too strong. He could hear a faint gasp from behind Terry where Mandy had emerged from her room. Mickey realizes it was no use to try to pull his hands away so he moved on to his next tactic. He kicks his father hard in the crotch and it sends the man crumpling to the ground.

"Fuck you!" Mickey screams. "I'm sick of this shit! I'm sick of you thinking you can constantly beat on me! Fuck you!" He sends another hard kick to Terry's side before he backs away, breathing heavily. He then walks over to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Mandy asks.

"Don't fucking worry about it," he says, slamming the door behind him. It was cold without his jacket on. Especially with the steady fall of rain that immediately started to soak his clothes and hair. Mickey walked down the dark street in an aimless attempt to get somewhere. Anywhere was better than home.

He rubbed his bruised knuckles as he walked down the sidewalk and crossed the street. He was planning on just walking and walking until he couldn't walk anymore but then something caught his eyes. A familiar redhead was behind the glass of the Kash and Grab. He had on his black apron and had changed into new clothes since boxing. Mickey walks toward the shop but freezes in place as he watches what transpires next. Kash walks out from a back room and smiles at Ian. He watches as the older man locks the shop door and tugs on Ian's apron so he'd follow him to the backroom.

Mickey wasn't stupid. He knew what was going to happen and it made his anger bubble right back up. "Fuck you, Ian Gallagher," he said to himself. "Stupid fucking faggot!" He picks up a small rock from the ground and hurls it at the door, leaving a crack in the glass. For once he felt like he finally had someone who didn't lie and cheat all the time. Someone who actually cared about things other than stealing and dealing. But apparently, he was wrong. Ian had lied in a different way than his siblings or his friends but it still made him feel like shit.

Mickey spent the next hour with his head leaning back against the building. He sat on the ground, in the pouring rain against the Kash and Grab. He thought his anger would start to go away but it hadn't yet. So when the bell to the store rang Mickey shot up to his feet. "Mickey?" Ian asks. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ian was beyond surprised to see Mickey here and he was terrified that Mickey had seen more than Ian had wanted him to. He had broke things off with Kash a few days prior, but the man kept taunting him with free groceries and new clothes and Ian couldn't seem to say no. It wasn't that he had feelings toward Kash. He just wanted the items he was getting.

Mickey glares at him. "Move out of my fucking away, Gallagher," he says. He grabs Ian and forcefully moves him to the side as he walked into the shop. He saw Kash shrugging on his coat, on his way out. "Hey, towel head. You find it fun to fuck underage boys?"

Nash's eyes go wide and he starts to back up, away from Mickey but the teen was too quick. He grabs the man by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the counter as he slams his fist into his stomach. He repeatedly slammed his fists into Kash before he was yanked backward and thrown to the ground. He glared up at Ian. "What's your problem!?" The redhead yells.

Mickey scoffs as he climbs to his feet. He gets close to Ian's face. "Fuck you, Gallagher," he whispers in a chilling voice before leaving. This time the rain was a relief on his bloody knuckles and helped to wash away some of the blood. He kept his head down as he walked back to his house. He knew if Terry was there he'd get his ass kicked, but by now Mickey had lost all of his previous anger.

The door creaked open and his shoes squished on the ground as he stepped into the house. The living room and kitchen were empty which Mickey took as a sign of Terry fucking off to somewhere or more specifically, a bar. He walks throw the living room, leaving wet marks from his shoes as he walked into his bedroom. He couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips when he saw Mandy in the bathroom. "Get the hell out," he says.

"Mickey, where the hell did you go?" She asks. Mickey just shakes his head as he tugs his soaking wet shirt over his head and tosses it to the ground.

"None of your business," he grumbles, flopping down onto his bed.

"Mick, come on where did -"

"Leave me the fuck alone Mandy!" He yells. His sister stays silent for a long moment.

"You're a douchebag," she grumbles before leaving his room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Mickey runs his hands over his face and closes his eyes, glad to finally be alone.