Raising yevgeny Milkovich

New addition

"Mickey?" Ian called, entering the apartment. "Svetlana drop Yev off yet? How was her appointment?"

He shut up immediately when he saw Mickey asleep on the sofa, Yevgeny asleep on top of him. There was a video game start menu on the TV screen and the controller was on the floor near the couch. Ian crouched down next to Mickey's face and touched his nose to Mickey's cheek.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Mm..." Mickey said, partially awake.

"I'm home," Ian said softly.

"Mmhmm..." Mickey hummed before his breathing became deep and slow again.

Ian went to the bedroom to change into sweats to go running in and left his husband and stepson to their father-son nap. He was excited now, constantly thinking about the new baby coming-how it would fit into all their lives, what it would look like. The Gallaghers were ecstatic. Debbie was constantly calling Ian with some new baby name. Fiona kept bringing them other people's baby hand-me-downs. Lip and Carl wanted it to be a boy. Debbie and Fiona wanted a girl. Frank probably didn't even know there was another Gallagher on the way.

He returned to the apartment and took his medication for the evening, drinking a full glass of milk and scarfing down half a bagel because all of his medication required him to take with food. Mickey and Yevgeny were still passed out on the sofa, so Ian turned the X-Box off and set the TV to regular television. He folded a basket of laundry and half-watched a Fast and Furious movie that was well into the middle already. After he put away the freshly folded clothes and towels, he started on dinner-simmered chicken breasts with rice and broccoli. The smell roused Mickey enough to wake up.

"When did you get home?" He asked in a foggy voice, sounding confused.

"Couple hours ago," Ian replied from behind the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen. "Sleep well?"

"Yevvie..." Mickey gently roused his son. "Get up, Buddy. If you sleep now you'll be off the walls when it's time for bed."

"Mmmmmm....!!!!!!" Yevgeny yelped drowsily, trying to lay on Mickey again.

"No," Mickey said more sternly. "Get your butt up."

"Send him to the bathroom," Ian reminded Mickey.

"Oh, fuck...yeah," Mickey said, setting Yev on the floor. "Go potty. I'm surprised you didn't already pee on me."

Yev stumbled to the bathroom and returned a short time later, swaying back and forth in a sleepy haze as he stared at the TV.

"Ian, what is this show?" He asked.

"Um, Fast and Furious," Ian said. "Don't remember which one."

"Those are fast cars?" Yev asked, waking up a little bit more.

"Yup." Ian started on the broccoli.

"Are they cop cars?" Yev asked. "They go fast?"

Mickey, who'd just gotten out of the bathroom, playfully swatted his son as he made his way to the kitchen. Yev covered the seat of his pants.

"Don't spank my butt, Daddy," he said. "I will poop on you."

Ian busted out laughing and Mickey gave his son a strange look, also trying not to laugh.

"Kid's fuckin' retarded," Mickey snorted, staring at Yevgeny who was back to staring at the TV screen intently.

Over dinner, Ian and Mickey talked about school and work and bills and family, but conversation kept going back to the baby on the way. Yevgeny was aware of the baby, but Ian, Mickey, or Svetlana weren't really sure if he understood that a baby was on the way in their home.