More Than That

Chapter 8: Yevgeny

  It turned out to be a lot longer than a week that Ian stayed with Mickey. Svetlana quickly warmed to him as he made an effort to help out. In fact she started to teach him Russian, mostly to annoy Mickey who would yell at them and curse when they conversed in the language. Eventually the Gallaghers asked where he was staying and Mickey told him to tell the truth, said that it didn't matter anymore now that his dad was never coming out. Iggy and Mandy had no problem with them and really they were the only two other siblings that still came by the house so they were all that mattered.

  When a month of staying at the Milkovich house had rolled around Ian finally felt safe about asking Mick to move his pills. They were lying in bed having finished their post sex smoke but neither were all that tired.

  "Mick is it okay if I move my pills here?" Ian asked.

  Mickey turned to him then, looking at Ian like he was mad and for a moment Ian thought he must have done something really bad. He really hadn't thought that Mickey would mind too much even through they were a physical reminder that Ian was mentally ill, something that by all rights would scare anyone away. Mickey had given him his pills in the past when they were just meeting in the abandoned building. If that didn't scare him... maybe having them in the house was different.

  "I'm sorry, never mind," he said after Mickey didn't reply, if he didn't push it then maybe Mickey would just forget it.

  "No Ian. Sorry I just... why haven't you moved them yet? They're important and you don't have to hide or be ashamed here," Mickey said and Ian sighed in relief. A definite yes.

  "Guess I didn't want to remind you," Ian confessed in answer of Mickey's question. Mickey had looked up bipolar and the signs and symptoms. He knew what a shit show it was but not through personal experience. Ian wanted to keep him as far from that as possible.

  "Remind me of your bipolar? Ian I've already told you that doesn't bother me," Mickey replied, sitting up to look down at his boyfriend.

  "Yeah. Mick, you have to remember that the pills don't always work. There will be times when I get manic or depressed, admittedly to a lower extent than if not but... it isn't anything pretty," Ian told him. He had to make him aware, had to give him the choice as to whether he wanted to leave now before it was too late.

  "I told you I'll stick by you Ian. You aren't going to scare me away," Mickey told him firmly before leaning in for a kiss, "I love you."

  "I love you too," Ian said back but was horrified to feel the tears starting to slide down his cheeks.

  "Don't cry please," Mickey whispered as he kissed away the tears.

  "I'm just so grateful Mick. I... when I got diagnosed I thought that- that I would be alone and that I would be some janitor or something and- and-"

  "Well you're not alone now."

  "I know," Ian replied, pulling Mickey back down as close as possible.

***

  Mickey wasn't there when his son was born but Ian was. It was on Saturday morning that Svetlana went into labour and it was the evening that her son was born. Ian was there and although he wasn't the father, or really any relation at all, Lana told the doctors to let him stay. In fact as soon as the baby was checked over and his mother had held him she handed him over to Ian. It was a testament to how close they had become in the last months.

  Ian had thanked her quietly and sincerely as he took the bundle and looked down at the baby boy. He had a shock of blond hair and when his scrunched up little eyes opened they were the usual blue that babies had but Ian sure hoped they stayed that way. Even at that point he could see a little Mickey staring back at him, some of his mother's features were there but he looked more like Mickey than her. The baby was beautiful with tiny features and tiny hands that were grabbing at the blanket he was swathed in.

  "He's beautiful Svetlana. Well done, you've made him perfect," Ian said to her without looking away from the wrinkled little face that he was already in love with.

  "Thank you Orange Boy. I hope you'll be good with him too," Svetlana replied, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. It surprised him, she often pecked him on the cheek but other than that she wasn't a tactile person in the least.

  "What are you going to name him?" Ian asked, finally able to tear his eyes away.

  "Yevgeny. After my father," she told him.

  "Your father? But wasn't he the one that sold you?" Ian looked at her shocked.

  "Yes. But selling made my baby possible. If he not sell, I not meet baby's piece of shit father," she explained, her brutal reasoning making Ian snort.

  When Ian texted Mickey to say he had a son Mickey replied with "K" and left it at that. When he eventually came home Svetlana was feeding the baby in the living room and Mickey only briefly glanced at the child before making his way into the kitchen to grab a beer. Ian was there at the table looking at his phone and looked up to him as Mickey sat down heavily in the seat across.

  "He's beautiful Mick," Ian broke the silence.

  Mick just grunted and looked down at the tattoos on his knuckle. It wasn't the reaction that Ian had expected but then he supposed he understood. Svetlana had been forced to rape Mickey and Yevgeny had been the result. He had had to marry Svetlana and put up with seeing her every day since. He had no idea how that must have felt other than awful. A constant reminder of what was undoubtedly one of the worst days of the brunette's life. So Ian thought he understood, or at least hoped he did.

  Instead of pressing the matter Ian rose from the table and came around to Mickey's side. He rubbed, in what he hoped would be seen as a loving, hand down Mickey's neck before squeezing his shoulder before pressing a kiss to his temple. The man's shoulders were slumped and he looked defeated. Ian hated it. He wrapped his arms around his lover and lent in close, pressing a kiss to the pale neck, encouraged when Mickey started to run an absent hand up and down Ian's forearm. 

  "Just take your time with him. I'm sure one day you'll love him but if you rush it maybe not. He really is beautiful and he looks more like you than her anyway," Ian muttered into his neck.

  There was a long moment where they just stayed in that position, Mickey taking comfort and Ian giving it, before Mickey spoke.

  "Thank you Ian," he said. It was the first time Ian thought he had ever heard Mickey say that, to anyone, in more than a sarcastic way. What he'd said had obviously meant a lot to the new father.

  "No problem Mick."