The Secret Between Us//Gallavich

9| An explanation

MICKEY
Getting Ian home was very tough. Although, Lip and I managed, no help from Mandy.

"Okay, so just be clear, how the fuck did you find him there?" Lip asked, he and Mandy on the couch.

"I figured that if Ian was on the run from MPs, then he'd end up doing something completely insane, so I checked the bars. I went to one called the White Swallow and it turns out the manager had seen Ian. He told me that Ian worked at their other location, the Fairy Tail in Boystown. I went there and found Ian being drugged by some older creep before they ended up outside. Ian was on the floor while I beat the guy up." I explained.

"Well, at least you found him without Fiona finding out." Lip exhaled.

As we sat in the living room, we heard someone in the kitchen, that person being Ian.

"Where the hell were you?" Lip stood up, basically ignoring any common sense to be calm.

"The Army. I enlisted." Ian rolled his eyes as he grabbed a beer and some leftovers, getting ready to eat.

"The Army?" No one was surprised by Ian's answers, considering the MPs showed up.

"Yeah. I wanted to find myself. Didn't think I could do it here." Ian smiled.

"Don't you have to be 18?" I spoke up, confused.

"Don't know, don't care. I left. Stuff got nuts." Ian laughed.

"What "stuff?" Mandy asked, curious.

"Oh, military trying to control me." Ian scoffed.

"That's what the military does, Ian." I stood beside him, my hand on his shoulder.

"Got sick of it, but, hey, I met some amazing folks. Got all these great ideas. I'm a different person. Hey, but we can talk about that later, right?" Ian smiled, drinking his beer.

"No, we can talk about it now. You scared all of us shitless! Who knows what could have happened to you?! It didn't help that the MPs showed up!" Lip got angry.

"Look at me, Lip. I'm right here. I'm alive and well. As for the MPs...fuck 'em." Ian rolled his eyes.

"So what's next for you?" Mandy asked, hoping to lighten up the situation.

"Oh, I've been thinking about apprenticing with this electrician I met. You know, learn how to wire stuff." Ian was really confusing me.

"Ian! You're back!" Debbie and Carl entered the back door.

"Oh, hey, guys. Oh, man. I missed you guys." Ian smiled as he hugged Debbie and Carl, both of whom couldn't hide their smiles.

"Lip says you stole a helicopter." Carl laughed.

"I tried to. Kind of tipped it. Blades snapped. Motor caught fire." Ian smiled.

"Awesome. You shoot anyone?" Carl asked, more interested in Ian's time in the Army than Ian himself.

"I never left basic." Ian shrugged his shoulders.

"You can't shoot anyone there?" Carl was confused. Debbie rolled her eyes.

"You can. I didn't." Ian smiled.

"You shot no one. You flew nothing. Why'd you even go there in the first place?" Carl groaned.

"Relationship issues." Ian, Mandy and Lip looked at me.

"Yeah, you okay?" Debbie asked.

"Yup, all good." Ian smiled.

"Both of you, upstairs. The adults gotta talk." Mandy smiled.

MANDY
"Hey Mick, can you take Ian upstairs to bed?" Lip asked as he looked at Ian, who looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"Yeah." Mickey nodded, holding Ian as he took him upstairs.

"How much?" Lip asked, looking at me.

"Huh?" I was confused as to what Lip was referring to.

"How much did he pay you to keep his and Mickey's secret? Ian, I mean." Lip asked, grabbing a beer from both of us.

"Ian didn't pay me. Mickey did. Ian is my best friend. Mickey is my brother. I like Ian more so I didn't make him pay me $50 a month." I laughed.

"Wait? $50 a month?! Damn!" Lip chuckled.

"May as well get some good money for such a juicy secret." I sipped my beer.

"Why did Ian take my advice...about enlisting in the Army?" Lip asked as we walked outside, taking in the fresh air.

"Terry nearly caught them." I looked at Lip, beginning to tell him about the day that Mickey and Ian were nearly caught in a compromising position by Terry.

"Holy shit. Do you think Terry would have done anything to them if he had caught them?" Lip asked, confused.

"Fuck yeah. There's really no telling what he would do. He's willing to do anything from pistol-whipping to shoot and kill." I sighed, knowing the cruel reality of my racist, homophobic father.