More Than That

Chapter 9: Graduating

  It was the day after he graduated Ian signed up for EMT training. Looking at it he couldn't wait to get started, the prospect of getting away from stripping was thrilling. If he kept at it he would be done with the training within six months and then he would be able to get a real job. He would be able to make Mickey proud. Hopefully. If Mickey was still putting up with him in six months. Even though he had been living with the Milkovich for nearly seven months and he still couldn't shake the feeling that this was temporary. Maybe if he got this job Mickey would let him stay longer.

  So far things had gone so right. Svetlana and he were good friends and she continued to teach him Russian over the months because it still annoyed Mickey. That was fun and he was getting very proficient at it to, they could hold full conversations together and laugh at Mickey glaring at them from across the room. Some days he wondered if it was too much to deliberately piss out of his boyfriend when he wasn't even sure if he would be there the next day. Other days it wound Mickey up to the point of amazing sex. 

  Svetlana and Mickey were now friendly as well and Mickey, as Ian had predicted, had grown to love his son. Lana had a girlfriend called Nika as it turned out that she actually preferred pussy to dick, Nika was another Russian whore but she was nice and she made Lana happy. All in all they were a nice, quite tight knit family even if they were not really conventional. 

  Just after graduation though was when the Gallaghers started to really pester Ian about Mickey. Lip had never approved from the beginning when Mickey was technically only a fuck buddy. Fiona had been horrified to hear that he had moved in with a Milkovich. Then again she only noticed after he had been gone two weeks, not that he would through that at her as she was always so busy. Debby had been happy he had a boyfriend, Carl thought it was beyond awesome. After a while they all left him be, the ginger slowly spending less and less time at the Gallagher house. 

  After he graduated though that seemed to be their ticket to start all up again. It was Fiona first, came to the door with a false smile and Mandy reluctantly let her in.

  "Hey Ian, how are you doing?" she greeted. Mickey wasn't there and Ian was currently standing in the kitchen holding a five and a half month old Yevgeny. 

  "Good Fi, how about you?" Ian replied cautiously.

  "Yeah I'm good," she said, putting her hands in the back pockets of her jeans in her typical nervous way, "I was wondering when you were coming home."

  "Yeah I though you might," Ian said quietly, looking down at the floor.

  "Come on Ian you can't be happy here. Look at you holding the baby of Mickey Milkovich, your supposed boyfriend, and his wife. You've graduated now, you've got your whole life ahead of you, you don't need him," Fiona practically begged.

  "You're wrong, I do and nothing you say is going to change that. I'll come home when Mickey doesn't want me here anymore," Ian told her quietly while holding Yev closer, a comfort really. The little baby grabbed at the fingers that Ian was stroking down his side. He was adorable and gave Ian something to focus on other than his sister.

  When he looked up Fiona was gone. It was a while before anyone else came round to bother him. Ian hoped Fiona had told Lip that it was pointless.

***

  The next problem was actually one with Mickey and his job. He hadn't told Mickey about where he was going in the days when he went to the hospital because he wanted to surprise Mickey in the end. A nastier part of his brain muttered that he didn't want to tell his boyfriend in case he failed. He hadn't actually thought that such an arrangement would cause problems. Except it did.

  Ian arrived home after another day of lessons thoroughly relaxed. He found that he loved the course and learning about things that he knew he would be able to apply, not like all those stupid maths equations he had to struggle over in school. The other reason that he was so relaxed was that he was going to be able to return to the house where he didn't have to be anyone but himself and to his boyfriend.

  As he opened the door and walked into the kitchen and catching sight of Mickey  the tension returned. The brunette was stood leaning against the kitchen counter with a beer in hand staring straight at Ian in the way that told Ian he had fucked up. That was never a good look on anyone and especially not on Mickey. 

  "Hey?" Ian asked uncertainly, quickly putting his hands in his pockets to hide the fact that they were shaking.

  "So you've been going out lots recently and sure that's fine. But it's always at the same times, Lana has told me when you're gone cause I asked. So today I followed you to the hospital where you didn't come out of for hours. Not too sure how long exactly just gave up after two. Want to tell me what's up?" Mickey confronted, standing straight and  coming within arms length of Ian before folding his arms over his chest.

  He doesn't trust me. Ian looked Mickey over for a while, he hadn't been doing anything wrong. He hadn't thought that Mickey would notice him gone let alone follow him. Then again he followed him to Boys Town all those months ago. He really doesn't trust me.

  "I've been training," Ian got out even though it felt like his throat was closing over. Why didn't Mickey trust him? What had he done to make him not trust him? Wracking his brains he really couldn't think of anything but... but his bipolar. Mickey didn't trust him because he was mentally ill.

  "Training? In a hospital?" Mickey asked as if that was a really unbelievable excuse. 

  "To be a paramedic. So I that I'm not a stripper till I'm old. I didn't tell you because... well maybe I wouldn't succeed and I didn't want to disappoint. Or surprise. I mean it's not really a big deal I don't know I just-" Ian stuttered through.

  "That's amazing Ian," Mickey smiled, stepping forward and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ian moved forward again and pressed his forehead against Mickey's.

  "Why don't you trust me Mickey? Please don't say because of my bipolar but I can't think of anything else I've done and if I have done something I am so sorry and please tell me. I'll change I promise," Ian whispered brokenly.

  Mickey pulled back then, gripping Ian's hips but looking him in the eye, "I'm just paranoid. I can't help it. You're the best think in my life and I will do anything to keep you."

  Ian smiled and sighed in relief. That answer had definitely not even been on his radar but he was sure glad that it had been Mickey's. That was the moment that Lip decided to walk in. The eldest Gallagher son looked to be determined and Ian's heart sank as he pulled away from Mickey to look back at him. 

  Lip stood there arms crossed looking the scene over. His look was so disapproving that it made Ian cringe back. There was a time when his big brother's approval had been everything and there was still a small part of that old self in him. That was until Lip's gaze fell on the counter and Ian turned slightly to see that Lip was in fact staring at his medicine bottles that had been left on the side. Then Ian couldn't care any less about Lip's approval and only getting him the hell out.