Finger Paintings • gallavich

Drunk and Drunker

When Mickey was a kid, he figured he'd be an astronaut or president by now. But instead, he was in the living room of his childhood home, tugging on the snow pants for his child.

"Come home before dark," svetlana tells them, but Mickey ignores her. He had said they were going to the park to sled down the hill but instead he was going to go to Ian's with Yev.

"Yeah, okay," he mumbles as he tugs on his own coat and wraps a scarf around his neck before walking out. It had been snowing all through the night. There was now a foot of snow and more on the way. Mickey held Yev's gloved hand as they walked down the street. "How about instead of the park, we go to Mr. Gallagher's instead?"

Yev shrugs. "I guess so. Can we still play in the snow though?" He asks.

Mickey nods. "Yeah, sure thing," he says as they turn down Ian's street. Yev nods, satisfied and holds onto his dad's hand, struggling to walk in the snow. "Walk on the sidewalk, Yev. You can barely stand up in the snow," Mickey says. Yev laughs.

"But if I stand in the snow, then I'm tall like you," he says, grinning. Mickey couldn't help but smile. He picks Yev up and sets him on his shoulders.

"There, now you're extra tall," he says. Yev grins and stays that way until they reach Ian's house. Mickey knocks on the door and waits. A young girl with red hair opens the door and stares up at him.

"Uh, is Ian home?" Mickey asks.

"Ian! Some guy is at the door for you!" She calls before disappearing back into the house. Mickey took that as an invitation to walk in.

"Hey," Ian says, walking over to them.

"Hey, hope you don't mind that I brought Yev," Mickey says, taking off his scarf and coat.

Ian shakes his head. "Not at all. My family's all home right now and we've got beer. But Liam, my little brother is upstairs if you want to go play with him," he says to Yev.  Yev smiles and nods. "His room is up stairs and all the way at the end. Yevgeny hugs Mickey before running up the stairs to Liam's room.

"So, uh, your family's home?" He asks, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can  leave if you want." Mickey felt incredibly awkward in this situation. To Mickey, Ian was just Yev's teacher and a guy he was hoping to occasionally hook up with. Nothing more. And meeting his family just felt too personal for Mickey.

"No, stay. We're having a little Gallagher party. Free beer, music, maybe even a blowjob if you stay long enough," he says, smirking.

Mickey rolls his eyes. "I'm staying for the beer, not for your horny ass," he mumbles. "Where's the beer at anyways?"

"Kitchen. I'll go get you one," Ian says and goes to the kitchen.

"Are you Mickey?" Someone asks and Mickey turns around, facing a woman a little older than him with brown hair.

"Uh, yeah, and you are?"

"I'm Fiona, Ian's sister," she says. "He's talked about you before."

"Oh? Hope it was all good," he jokes, smiling a bit. He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the wall.

"You've met Fi?" Ian says. He smiles and hands Mickey his beer.

Mickey nods, sipping it. "Uh, yeah. Told me you've been talking about me?" He says, raising an eyebrow. Just from that one hook up, Mickey was at risk of his secret getting out. As soon as Ian told his family, if he hadn't already, then they'd sure as hell tell others and soon enough Terry would find out too.