#8-bit mickey

[lemonsandmermaids]

Ask Vaudeville: January 17, 2013

No one can resist my coffee!

[keniambro]

It would seem that I've become something of a stranger around these parts. I'm still exercising those creative muscles, but haven't found much of my work to be worth sharing.

Recently, though, I had arranged this chiptune version of the track that plays during the first stage of The Magical Quest: Starring Mickey Mouse. It had been inspired by 2bitcrook's recent Game Boy demake project and, subsequently, added to the mix. It's not perfect, but I still think it turned out pretty good.

Original Composition by Mari Yamaguchi

[incorrect-anything-quotes]

"My intellect has thought of everything. Even zhe things it hasn't considered. ESPECIALLY those things, in fact."

- Ludwig Von Drake

[swaggerblonde]

Swagger Blonde Let's Plays Land Of Illusion Sega Master System Part 2 Blacksmith’s Castle and Shrinking Potion

[idk6123]

The Perfect Student & The Delinquent (Mickey Milkovich X Male Reader)

Mickey never have been one for doing homework, or just doing anything school related at all. Some people call him stupid because of that, but he just doesn’t care. He knows how to make money and that is enough for him. He’s done with school, but school isn’t done with him. And this is school we’re talking about; they’re going to bother him about it by shoving the responsibility to someone else.

That’s when Y/N appears, one of the best students in the school. Mickey knew him. He’s a quiet kid. He didn’t find him annoying enough to beat him up, or rich enough to steal from. Thus, they never interact. However, that all starts one day, when the school hold Y/N responsible for getting Mickey’s grade up. Feeling screwed, he’s going to help Mickey without having much motivation.

“How the fuck should I suppose to know how algebra works!?”

“Maybe you know when you come to fucking class!”

“Maybe if you cut some class, you realize that’s the best way to not get your ass kicked!”

That’s when Y/N hold Mickey in a position that the punk can’t counterattack. Feeling his face against the floor, he looks at the side of eyes and look up to see Y/N, sitting on his body.

“You look like you want to fuck me.”

“Yeah, fuck you over if you don’t shut the fuck up and do your homework.”

To be honest, Mickey is quite surprised that Y/N isn’t the quiet kid he expected him to be. He thought the top student was some shy, timid guy that only wants to do homework, not a martial artist that has no time for bullshit.

“So, you want to lie down while I’m on top off you, or do you want to do something useful?”

Mickey scoffs. “Fine. Get your fat ass off me.”

“At least I got a nice ass.”

They sit down again at the couch and recontinue Mickey’s homework. As Y/N guides him, he notices how much Mickey is struggling with math, causing some frustration. Even after math, Mickey is struggling with almost every subject. English, chemistry, biology, you name it. Y/N bets the only class he can do is PE.

As Mickey continues to struggle on the task, Y/N can tell he’s going to burst out in anger anytime soon. “Let’s take a break.” Mickey looks back, staying quiet. “Got somethin’ to drink?”

“Beer is in the fridge.” Mickey answers. Y/N stands up and heads to the kitchen. “Grab one for me.”

Y/N does that, bringing back two beers. He hands one over to Mickey. After they pop off the caps, they both take a sip at the same time.

“Are you some masochist for doing this shit?”

“Nope. Just someone who hopes for a big job and get rich.” Y/N responds. “Get in a good college first though. You?”

“I just steal the money. We should stay in contact, just in case you get rich.”

Y/N chuckles. “Any chance you get any money from me if you’re either my husband or my sugar baby.”

“That’s a hard pass.”

For the rest of the day, after having their break, Y/N helped Mickey, tutoring him in about every subject. That being said, it doesn’t look bright.

-

It’s another day where Y/N helps Mickey. The straight A student made sure to reflect why Mickey isn’t doing well, not wanting to write it off with him just being dumb. Thus, after changing the homework just a bit, he manages to do something that may help Mickey.

“’In a week, your crew makes these many drug deals: 7, 5, 8, 6, 9, 4, 10. What's the median number of deals?’” This is the first question Mickey read, only thinking what happened to his homework. “What the hell is this?”

“I’m helping you. Now you can use math in your future business.” Y/N responds. “Now, try to figure it out.”

Mickey then looks back at the paper. For whatever reason, he appears he knows what he’s actually doing. He doesn’t look confused, instead he looks focused. “7 deals.”

“Right!” Y/N is happy Mickey finally got something right. “Now to the next.”

“’You got two weapons suppliers. One brings you 2x units and the other brings 3x units. If x is 5, how many total units you got?’” Mickey looks back at his tutor. “25 units.”

“Holy-” Y/N is surprised how well things are going. “Write down the solution.” Without any fuss, Mickey writes down the solution. Afterwards, he gives the paper back at Y/N. “Correct.”

Mickey smirks, grabbing the paper back. “And here people thought I was some dumbass.”

“Well, you proved them wrong.”

-

Now that every question is changed into a language into something Mickey comprehends, the speed of doing his homework changed from an entire day into 2 hours, with most of the time the questions correctly answered.

“’If you take a hit and your arm’s bleeding, which system in your body rushes to patch up the hole?’ The circulatory system.”

“’You got a new batch of goods, and you see the demand go up. If you usually move 50 units at $20 each, but now you can push 70 units at the same price, what’s the total revenue now?’ $1400.”

“If you're 'running' from the police, how do you say, 'we run' in Spanish?”

"Nosotros corremos"

Times passes quickly as Mickey completes his homework. After doing so, Y/N is wondering what kind of grade he gets. And it turns out he managed to get a…

“B+!”

Mickey looks surprised. “In total?”

“Yeah.” Y/N looks happy for his classmate. “You did great. Now you have to rely on regular questions, or you have to use your fantasy to turn it in something fun.”

“Do the second one.” Mickey answers. “To be honest, I’m surprised school can help me in my future.”

“The future full of crime.”

“Yep, and I give all the credit to you, not those assholes.” Mickey refers to the teachers without shame.

Y/N smirks. “They really are assholes. They black mailed me to tutor you, y’know?”

“They did?” Mickey is surprised, thinking it’s ridiculous. “Fucking bastards…” He then thought of something. “We should get revenge.”

“Whaddaya mean? You talking about a school shootin’ or somethin’?”

“No, just destroying the principal’s office. And for good sake, his car.”

Y/N thought about it, not declining the idea at first, causing Mickey to smile with glee. Feeling like he wants to bite back, the usually good student caves in. “Only after you ace your tests.”

Mickey offers a fist-Bumb, which Y/N accepts. “Deal.”

-

Y/N awaits outside of the classroom, wanting to see Mickey after finishing his last test. As Y/N daydream off, his eyes suddenly went wide awake when Mickey gets out of the classroom with a smirk on his face.

“And?”

“Not a problem.”

“Nice.” Y/N offers a high-five, which Mickey accepts.

“Now it’s for me to help your ass.” Mickey gestures his friend to follow him. They get to his locker, where Y/N sees multiple tools of destructions in the locker. “You’re backing down?”

Y/N grabs a hammer, checking it out. “Nah, they need to learn to not mess with me.”

Mickey looks proud. “Glad you’re not a pussy.”

After gathering their equipment, they get to the principal office. They see it’s empty, though locked. Using his lock-picks, Mickey opens the door, causing them to get access in the office. They look around, with Mickey looking back at his new delinquent friend.

“Want to do the first honour?”

Y/N holds the hammer tighter, with his eyes locking on the pc. With a heavy slam, the computer receives a massive hole, following up with another slam and another one. That’s when Y/N grabs what remained and throws it aside to stomp on it.

“There you go!” Mickey looks excited. He then gets to the desk, where he takes out all of the drawers to throw it away. “Let’s go wild!”

Chaos enfolds the entire room, as the two delinquents destroy the entire office. The shelves broken on the floor. All the files ruined and ripped apart. The chair being thorn into two. They even tagged the wall with a penis.

“You have a talent for making very gorgeous dicks.”

Mickey chuckles. “Naturally born talent.” He looks back at his friend. “And now we have made our territory.”

“Like a dog?”

“Yep.” Mickey hands move to his pants to unbuckle. He notices Y/N just standing. “You’re not joining?”

“I just think we should aim higher.”

“Like a shit?”

“No.” Y/N looks back at the desk. “Think anyone ever cummed on the desk?”

Mickey stops what he’s doing and looks back. “You want to fuck on the desk?”

“I don’t mean together.” Y/N clarifies himself, thinking Mickey is straight. “We could have turns jerking off.”

Mickey then just smirks. “Not the best time wise. It’s better we do it at once.”

“Huh?”

That’s when Mickey gets to Y/N to ambush him with a kiss, though surprised for a second, he quickly kisses back. The two guys quickly move to the table, where both guys begin undressing each other to take the ultimate insult.

-

“I think we’ve done enough orgies.”

“When is enough enough?” Mickey responds back.

They just stole the principle’s car and park it somewhere isolated, where Y/N and Mickey send another message from inside the car, multiple times.

Both guys are sitting in the front seat, where they chat as they’re covered in each other’s clothing.

“Well, I’m tired.”

“Of sex?”

“Yeah, l like it more dispersed.” Y/N grabs his boxers and put them on. “You’re one freaky shit to be able to have sex so many rounds.”

“Thanks.” Mickey merely responds. “There is more where that came from.”

Y/N hums. He grabs his t-shirt to put it on. As he does, he looks back at the guy next to him. “You’re staying naked?”

“I’m still up for one more round.”

“You really are a degenerate.” Y/N chuckles. “Well, the longer we stay here, the quicker the principle notices his car gone missing and the cops to find us.”

Mickey hums and think about it. “Right, I can’t really afford that.” That’s when he starts dressing up too.

“We can always do it another time.”

Mickey looks back to see a smirking man, giving him a smirk back. “I like the sound of that.”

-

“Got a B for math.” Mickey announces when Y/N walked in his house.

“Nice going.” Y/N looks proud. “And nice for me for being such a good and perfect teacher.”

“I wanna make a remark but consider the rest of my grades are all great, I let it pass.” Mickey goes to the fridge to grab a beer for him and Y/N. “Did you hear about principle shitface?”

Y/N smirks. “What about him?”

Mickey goes back to Y/N to hand over a beer. “Wasn’t too fond to discover cum on his desk, as well in his car.”

“Nice.” Y/N laughs. He put up his beer. “Fuck the principle!”

“Fuck the principle!”

Mickey and Y/N both cheer, celebrating their victorious, whether it’s from Mickey getting good grades, or Y/N standing up for himself, or their new find friendship that will turn into something more.

[httpsleclerc]

here’s an idea for mick & vettel!reader :) they go go karting as young kids & at the track some rude boys make fun of her for being a girl & mick stands up for her

THANK YOU ANON I LOVE THIS

You beamed up at your dad, your wide, excited smile evident on your face despite the helmet you were wearing. Sebastian smiled as he situated you into the go kart, making sure that you were strapped in tight, since you were on the smaller side and tended to sometimes slide around the small seat.

"Feel okay, liebling?" He asked you, nodding and grinning as you gave him a thumbs up in response, looking over as Michael helped Mick into his own go-kart, going through the same routine he did with you. "Remember, you and Mick are on the same team, you don't need to beat Mick, just the other boys, okay?"

"Okay daddy," You responded, once again giving your dad a double thumbs up just to emphasise how much you understood what he was telling you. "Are you and Mick's daddy gonna watch us?" You asked your dad hopefully, Sebastians heart swooning at your puppy dog eyes which were visible through the visor on your helmet.

"Yes, Liebling, we'll be right over here cheering you both on, okay?" Your father assured you, stepping off of the go kart track as a whistle was blown, Michael coming to stand beside the younger German. The two watched and commented as you lead the rest of the boys for more than half of the allocated laps, with Mick taking over your lead in the second half, but watched as you pulled what could only be described as a stunning overtake last minute and winning overall.

"Daddy! I won!" You cheered as you came pelting towards your father, tossing your helmet to the side as you ran towards your dad, your small self colliding with his legs with a small grunt. Sebastian smiled as he picked you up, holding you at his hip so he could place a small kiss on your cheek as a congratulations.

"I know! You did so good, liebling!" Sebastian congratulated you as he pointed to the small gold medal hanging from your neck. "Mick did really well too, didn't he?" You nodded and grinned at the mention of your best friend, whose silver medal hung proudly around his neck as his own father congratulated him. "Me and Mick's dad are going to get you two ice cream, so you two stay here okay? Do not move." You nodded, understanding how stern your dad was being.

"You did so good y/n," Mick smiled at you as the two of you sat on the bench previously occupied by your fathers. You blushed as you looked away from him, going shy at the praise from your best friend.

"Thanks, I might let you win next time, Mickey," You teased him, the two of you giggling at your joke. However, your laughter didn't last long as you were soon pushed from your seat on the bench, landing on the ground on your hands and knees with an oof. "Ow! Hey!" You whined, tears bubbling in your eyes.

Three boys, who you had beaten, were clearly unhappy with the given result of the race - Which was a bit ironic since it was a kids go-karting race and not a real Formula One Grand Prix.

"What are you even doing here? You're just a stupid little girl, shouldn't you be playing with barbies or something?" The boys friends laughed at their jabs at you, laughing even further as you started quietly crying, at this point just wanting your dad and to go home. "Aww, poor crybabies upset. Maybe you should just go home, little girl." Their jabs at your age were almost laughable, since you were 6 and these boys were 8, you had driven laps around them during the race.

"Leave her alone! You're just jealous that she's better than you and that her dad is here," Mick tried to be as formidable as possible towards the older boys, who did seem taken aback at the young Schumachers words. "You're just being mean to her because you are not as good as she is, she did a lap around you and you so maybe you should go home and play barbies!"

Following Mick's defence of you, the older boys backed off and left the two of you alone, leaving Mick to help you up off of the ground and back up onto the bench.

"It's okay y/n, they are bad drivers anyway," Mick tried to make you laugh, but you continued crying due to the seething pain in your skinned palms.

"My hands hurt, Mickey," You cried to him. Mick, knowing a way to help you which his mom always did, picked up your hands gently and placed small kisses on each of your palms.

"There! All better."

[xuchiya]

accidentally have 8 pets || ateez || chapter 4

| genre: fluff. slice of life. small tinge of angst. kind of supernatural(?) | mentions: doctors. vets. needles. adoption. a bit cruel. magic starts. abuse to animals. laws. douyin saving the day. TAGLIST: CLOSED

back to masterlist || chapter 5

I stood outside the facility where the husky—Mingi, as the female vet, Minnie, had named him after an idol she adored and Taehyun agreeing that it looks like him—was currently being held. Taehyun had taken charge of my two feline companions for the time being since this facility was on the other side of the city. It was the best of the best, a place that could provide Mingi with the care he needed.

Still, something in my chest felt heavy.

“Are you Taehyun’s girlfriend?” A soft, curious voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Turning, I found a woman standing nearby, a clipboard in one hand and a parrot perched on her left shoulder. She had a gentle smile, her eyes filled with warmth rather than judgment, as if she were simply waiting—patient and understanding.

“Ah—ah, no, ma’am…” I cleared my throat, suddenly aware of how dry it felt. “I’m here for the husky, Mingi. Taehyun spoke to me about his condition.”

She nodded, already seeming to understand. “I see.” Then, offering another kind smile, she gestured for me to follow. “I’m Minnie, by the way. And this little troublemaker here is my right-hand—Mickey.”

At the mention of his name, the bird let out a soft chirp, tilting his head in a way that almost seemed like a greeting. I chuckled lightly despite the nervous energy swirling inside me.

As we stepped inside, the facility came to life around us.

Birds perched inside their cages—doors wide open—fluttered freely around the room, their wings filling the air with soft rustling sounds. Windows and doors remained open, yet not a single bird attempted to leave. Instead, they circled and settled as if they knew this place was home. Dogs ran freely, some playing with each other, others happily interacting with the veterinary staff. The laughter of the doctors and nurses mixed with the barks and chirps, creating a chaotic yet inviting symphony.

It was unlike any clinic I had ever seen. I found myself staring, awestruck, at the controlled chaos around me. The place felt alive, full of warmth.

But then we reached the double doors. Minnie pushed them open, leading me down a quieter hallway. The moment we stepped through, the noises from outside faded, replaced by an eerie silence that made my skin prickle.

The air was different here.

With every step, the heavy quiet pressed down on me, an almost suffocating contrast to the vibrant life we had just left behind. My fingers twitched slightly as unease settled in my chest. The further we walked, the more I could feel it—anxiety rising, a quiet, agonizing weight that made the walls seem narrower than they were.

“We let the animals roam freely during our break so they can stretch,” Minnie explained as we stepped into a quieter section of the facility.

The room was large, similar in design to the open area outside, yet the atmosphere felt different. It wasn’t empty, yet it carried an almost sacred silence. Unlike the lively chaos of the main area, the animals here chose to remain still, quiet—as if bound by something unseen.

“The doors are open here too,” she continued, her voice softer now, “but they choose to stay inside… each for their own reasons.”

We stopped in front of a kennel. At first, it seemed empty. But then my eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting, and I saw him—curled up at the very back, a trembling mass of gray fur pressed against the corner.

Mingi.

I barely moved, yet the slight shift in my stance must have startled him. He curled in tighter, his whole body shaking—not from cold, but from something deeper.

Fear.

Pain.

Memories that refused to let him go.

Minnie sighed beside me, watching him with quiet sorrow. “Mingi has been isolating himself, which is… concerning,” she admitted. “Dogs like him may go through trauma, but even then, they usually respond in some way. But Mingi…” She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. “We keep trying new approaches, but… it’s been difficult. Progress has been slow.”

Something inside me twisted painfully. The sight of him—so small despite his size, so broken despite being alive—made my throat tighten. The weight of his suffering, of everything he must have endured, felt unbearable.

I could feel it in my chest, a familiar ache pressing against my ribs.

Minnie’s voice softened further, a quiet grief lacing her words. “Unlike the other dogs, his trauma runs deeper. His history of being adopted and returned—again and again, treated the same way each time—has worn him down.”

She exhaled slowly, looking at him with a sorrowful gaze.

“When an animal experiences that kind of cycle repeatedly… it doesn’t just hurt them. It breaks something inside them. And for Mingi… I fear that what’s been broken might be hope itself.”

My breath hitched.

Hope.

The very thing that kept creatures like him—like me—going.

And yet, here he was. A living being whose hope had been stripped away, left in an endless loop of disappointment and abandonment. I swallowed hard, my hands clenching at my sides as I took a small step forward, my heart silently reaching out to him.

Mingi flinched. But he didn’t run.

Tears welled at the corners of my eyes as I lowered myself to Mingi’s level, squatting just outside his kennel. My lips wobbled, my fingers tightening around the cold metal bars—only to feel them shift slightly beneath my touch.

The lock was open. I glanced at Minnie, who gave me a small nod of encouragement. “Go ahead,” she urged gently. “Talk to him.”

A shaky breath escaped me as I reached for the latch, my hands trembling slightly. The door creaked softly as it swung open, “Mingi…” My voice was barely above a whisper, raw with emotion. “Hey, baby…”

Nothing. No flicker of recognition. No shift in his breathing. Just the steady rise and fall of his frail body, as if even acknowledging my presence took too much effort. I swallowed hard and glanced at Minnie again. Her eyes held a quiet urgency—hope, even. She wanted me to keep trying, “Hey, baby,” I tried again, my tone softer, gentler. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”

Still, nothing.

The weight of his silence pressed down on my chest, but I refused to give up. I knew this kind of pain—the kind that made you retreat so far inside yourself that even kindness felt unreachable. But Mingi wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

I steadied my breath and leaned in just a little closer.

“Would you like to meet my two cats?” No reaction. Not a single twitch of his ears, not even the subtlest shift in his eyes. But I wasn’t leaving. Unlike us, animals don’t know how to process their pain. They don’t understand why they’ve been abandoned, why love was given and then taken away.

They only feel the loss. And if Mingi had no way of fighting through his darkness…

Then I’d fight for him.

“Wooyoung is my first cat,” I began softly. “He was alone, too. He’s scared of the dark and absolutely hates it when I sing.” Mingi’s trembling didn’t stop, but there was the smallest pause in his breathing—just for a second. It was barely noticeable, but I caught it.

Encouraged, I continued, “Hongjoong is my second cat. I found him when he had nowhere to go. He loves dressing me up and gets so annoyed when I wear mismatched socks.” A small chuckle escaped me at the thought, though my gaze remained steady on Mingi.

“Do you know what I love about the two of them?” My voice wavered, but I pushed forward, feeling the weight of my own words settle deep in my chest. “They gave themselves a second chance. Even when everything felt too dark, they never stopped trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel.”

I inhaled slowly, “You’re almost there, Mingi,” I whispered. “It’s never too late to take a step forward.” Silence. And then, for the first time since I arrived, Mingi lifted his head.

My breath hitched as he adjusted his posture, his frail body shifting beneath the weight of his own hesitation. He was thin—far too thin—and his once-lustrous fur was dull and rough. But his eyes… they held something now. Something fragile, but present.

A spark. I smiled, warmth filling the cracks of my aching heart, “Hey, Mingi,” I murmured, voice light with hope. “Do you want some biscuits?”

It took minutes—agonizingly slow minutes—but then, with a shaky inhale, Mingi moved. Wobbly, unsteady, each step uncertain.

And then—he collapsed onto my lap.

My breath hitched, eyes wide in disbelief. A single tear slipped down my cheek, but a soft, airy chuckle escaped me. My hand moved on its own, fingers threading gently through his rough fur, offering the comfort he had long been deprived of, “That’s a good boy, Mingi,” I whispered, my voice barely holding steady.

A quiet, choked sound came from beside me, “… Wow.” I had almost forgotten about the nurse. When I glanced up, she was sitting on the floor, her eyes red-rimmed, her expression somewhere between awe and overwhelming relief.

I let out a breathy chuckle. “I—I’m sorry for that.”

She shook her head, an emotional smile gracing her lips. “No, don’t be. We never lost hope for Mingi, but we knew it would take something—someone—to bring him back.” She exhaled softly, watching the husky nestled against me. “And we’re so grateful that it was you.”

My heart swelled, the weight of the moment settling deep in my chest. I looked down at Mingi, unsure if he had drifted into sleep or if he was simply seeking warmth—seeking comfort. Either way, it didn’t matter. Because for the first time in a long time, neither of us felt alone.

Mingi stayed on my lap for a while, his body still trembling, but less from fear and more from exhaustion. When I gently urged him toward his food bowl, he whimpered softly, hesitant. I didn’t push. Instead, I let him move at his own pace, watching as he sniffed at the food before taking cautious, slow bites.

Bit by bit, he ate. I stayed perfectly still, afraid that even the smallest movement might startle him.

And then—he finished. A wide grin spread across my face as I waited, giving him space to come to me. “That’s my good boy, Mingi! You cleaned your whole bowl!”

What moved me most wasn’t just that he had eaten but the way his tail twitched ever so slightly, his ears lowering at my praise. A small, hesitant reaction—one that spoke volumes, “You deserve a biscuit for being such a good pup for me,” I murmured, reaching for a treat.

The moment I extended my hand, he shrank back, uncertainty flickering in his tired eyes. My heart clenched, but I stayed patient, holding the biscuit steady. Mingi hesitated.Then, little by little, he inched forward, nostrils flaring as he took in the scent—not just of the biscuit but of me.

And then, instead of taking the treat—He licked my fingers. I inhaled sharply, eyes widening as he nudged his snout against my hand, a silent request for something far greater than food.

Trust.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I set the biscuit aside and slowly turned my palm up, letting him sniff, letting him decide. Letting him choose. The moment Mingi nudged his head under my hand, guiding it to rest atop his head, my breath hitched.

“Oh…” I whispered, eyes widening in surprise.

Gingerly, I ran my fingers through his coarse fur, giving him a soft, reassuring pet. His response was immediate—he settled, his body sinking into a more relaxed posture before placing his head in my lap.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips, the weight of the moment settling deep in my chest, “You deserve all the love, baby,” I murmured, my fingers tracing soothing circles against his fur. “You may not understand my words, but I want you to know—you are strong, and I am so proud of you.”

For a long while, I simply sat there, letting the silence wrap around us like a warm embrace. There was no doubt in my heart—this husky wouldn’t have to wait for a new home in a few months. Because I was already here. And I would love him just as fiercely as my two felines would.

“Adopt him. Now.” I barely had time to greet Douyin before he blurted out his demand. His urgency made me chuckle as I glanced down at the adoption papers laid out before me.

“I already am,” I replied, signing my name before stamping it with my personal seal. Mingi sat patiently to the side, his neck still bare—no collar, as the wounds around it were still healing. But he didn’t need one. He was disciplined, and more than that, he was safe now.

After thanking Minnie—the vet Taehyun had spoken so highly of—I stepped outside, Mingi trailing close behind.

“No need to tell me twice, Do. He’s coming home tonight.”

A triumphant cheer rang from the other end of the call, making me laugh. I glanced down at Mingi, who stayed glued to my side as we maneuvered through the bustling sidewalk. His ears flicked at every passing step, his body tense with unease. Without a second thought, I placed a steadying hand on his head, gently reassuring him.

Unlocking the car, I opened the back door and gestured for him to hop in. But instead of climbing inside, Mingi hesitated, his whimper barely audible over the city noise. He shuffled behind me, pressing his body close.

I sighed, a small smile tugging at my lips, “Looks like I’ll need a little help getting him home tonight.”

“He won’t jump in your car?” I hummed in response, watching Mingi carefully. I remained patient, giving him time to adjust. Slowly, he leaned forward, sniffing the seat before—much to my surprise—climbing in on his own. He settled onto the backseat, sitting stiffly but without hesitation.

My mouth hung open. “Well… he climbed in.”

“Either he really trusts you, or it’s that tattoo on your wrist.” Confused, I glanced down—and immediately yelped in shock. An hourglass-like symbol, eerily similar to a loading icon from a computer screen, was now etched onto my skin.

“You gotta see this…” I murmured, my pulse quickening, “Noona… are you cursed?”

I stuttered. “Heh?”

“I mean… Look, I was looking for that in the library the other day, flipping through books on weird ancient symbols that might match whatever’s on your wrist—”

“Wait, wait—Why are you even looking this up? Aren’t you supposed to be in school? Hold on…” I shifted onto one hip, pursing my lips as realization hit me, remembering something big to me. “Prosecutor, huh? When were you gonna tell me that YOU were a PROSECUTOR this whole time? School? Were you in class or in a court trial? Because right now, I’m confused and offended—”

A static and panic sound can be heard at the other side of the phone, “Noona, please calm down! I’ll explain everything when you get home. But seriously, Wooyoung and Hongjoong won’t stop meowing at the door! We’re gonna get noise complaints if you don’t hurry up!” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. 

“Fine, fine. I’m on my way.” Glancing at Mingi, who was curled up on the seat, his body finally at ease, I felt a strange sense of comfort. Whatever was happening, whatever this weird symbol meant, I had a feeling this was only the beginning.

And somehow, I was okay with that. 

What troubled me the most wasn’t just Mingi’s hesitation—it was the way he whimpered and cowered backward as we neared my apartment door—  At first, I didn’t understand. It only truly hit me when we reached my floor, and he outright refused to move— just across mine is the man’s old apartment. Apparently, he got evicted because he didn't pay rent for almost 3 months now. Additionally to his problems, he was sentenced to jail for 6 months to 2 years.

I sigh softly as I look at Mingi. His ears flattened, tail tucked between his legs, body sinking lower to the floor like he wanted to disappear. I sighed, pulling out my phone. “Douyin, I need you to open the door please.”

Within seconds, Douyin was already standing in the doorway, his expression shifting from confusion to realization as he took in the scene. Wooyoung and Hongjoong sat beside him, tails swishing curiously as they watched the whole thing unfold.

Mingi let out a low whimper and lay down on his stomach, pressing himself against the cold floor. My heart clenched, “It reminds him too much of that bastard’s room…” Douyin muttered darkly.

I shot him a look, silently warning him to watch his language, before sighing sharply. “We won’t be able to convince him with treats or anything.” Douyin nodded in agreement, but then something in his expression shifted, like a lightbulb flicking on in his head. Without another word, he rushed inside.

I frowned. “Douyin?”

He returned moments later, gripping a blanket in his hands.

“Noona, I’ll cover this part and try to urge him inside.” With that, he extended the blanket like a makeshift curtain, shielding the door and half of the hallway, leaving only the warm, inviting light of our apartment visible. 

I crouched down beside Mingi, running a soothing hand over his head. “See, baby? It’s safe.” His nose twitched as he cautiously lifted his head, eyes flickering between the dimly lit corridor and the bright, open space beyond the blanket. This was going to take patience, but if it meant helping Mingi take that first step toward healing, then I was willing to wait as long as it took.

I smiled softly, my gaze dropping to Mingi. To my surprise, Wooyoung and Hongjoong were already nudging their heads against him, their small bodies weaving around his legs like gentle whispers of reassurance.

My heart swelled. “Come on, baby, it’s okay.” Little by little, the two felines swerved beneath him, encouraging him to move forward. Mingi hesitated, his large paws pressing into the floor as if the weight of his fears held him back, but with their guidance—and my quiet support—he finally took those steps inside.

The moment we crossed the threshold, Douyin stepped in behind us, immediately draping the blanket over my head before scurrying past me toward Mingi, “Finally! A dog!” he declared, pure excitement in his voice.

I chuckled, shaking my head as I pulled the blanket off and neatly folded it before placing it on the sofa. I barely had time to settle before two familiar heads nudged at my hands, “Hello~” I cooed, scratching under their chins. “Have you guys been naughty to Douyin while I was gone?”

The only response was a pair of playful meows before the two perched themselves on the back of the sofa, their tails flicking lazily. Mingi padded toward me, his eyes holding a quiet trust that made my chest ache. Without hesitation, he lowered his head onto my lap, exhaling softly. I ran my fingers through his fur, smoothing down the rough patches. “Hey, baby, are you hungry?”

Before he could respond in his own way, Douyin flopped down onto the floor beside Mingi, his face twisting into a pout. “Aww, why does he like you more?”

I let out a small sigh, already recognizing the problem. Meeting Douyin’s gaze, I spoke gently but firmly. “It’s because men are what he’s still traumatized about. He’s also not used to having a woman around him—much less one who actually cares for him. Just bear with him, Do.”

Douyin’s expression shifted from playful annoyance to quiet understanding. He nodded, his gaze softening as he observed Mingi. “He must’ve been through hell if even being near a guy is enough to scare him…”

I hummed in agreement, my fingers never stopping their soothing motions over Mingi’s head. “Yeah… but we’ll take it one step at a time.” And in that moment, I promised myself—I would make sure Mingi never had to be afraid again.

Week after week, month after month, Mingi slowly healed—not just physically, but in ways I never imagined. The once fragile husky, hesitant and wary of the world, had transformed into a vibrant soul who embraced the warmth of his new life. His fur, once dull and rough from neglect, now gleamed under the soft glow of our apartment lights, silky and smooth beneath my fingers. The wound around his neck, the painful reminder of his past, had finally closed, leaving behind only faint scars that told a story of survival.

Yet, what Douyin and I hadn’t expected was just how lively Mingi truly was beneath all that past hurt. He was a ball of endless energy, a jolly pup with a heart far bigger than his body could contain. His playful antics outshined even Wooyoung’s, and that was saying something.

I adored the way he would bounce on his paws whenever I stepped through the door after my shift at the café, his excitement practically vibrating off the walls. Sometimes, he would pretend to be a mighty hunter, crouching low before pouncing on my feet like a mischievous pup, tail wagging furiously. Meanwhile, Douyin—drenched from head to toe, thanks to Mingi’s overenthusiastic greeting—could only sigh in defeat.

It amazed me how much he had grown to love Douyin’s presence, something I once thought impossible. Even Taehyun, who frequently stopped by for check-ups since we still have a hard time having Mingi outside our apartment, had earned a spot in Mingi’s heart.

Today was no different. As Taehyun sat comfortably on the couch, he held out a flyer, an amused chuckle escaping his lips. I tilted my head in curiosity, and beside me, Mingi mimicked the action, his ears perked up in confusion.

“A training ground?” I echoed, reaching for the paper.

Taehyun nodded, the corner of his lips twitching at the sight of both me and Mingi reacting the same way. “Yeah, just a few streets down. It’s an open program for all dogs, no matter their background.” My eyes skimmed over the details, noting the program’s emphasis on not just physical training but emotional and mental strengthening.

“This could really help Mingi,” Taehyun continued, his voice gentle but firm. “It’ll build his confidence and independence. You’ve done an amazing job helping him heal, but you don’t want him to become overly dependent on you. Unlike the two felines, he needs to develop trust in himself too.”

I looked up from the flyer, my gaze settling on Mingi, who was already watching me with those soulful eyes, his tongue slightly hanging out. He didn’t understand the conversation, but the trust he had in me was unwavering.

My lips curled into a soft smile. “Okay,” I murmured, giving his head a reassuring pat. “We’ll be there.” And as Mingi leaned into my touch, tail thumping against the floor, I knew this was the next step—not just for him, but for both of us.

If my stunned expression was anything to go by, I could only imagine what Mingi’s face looked like. And oh, how I wished I had my phone ready to record it.

Our gazes were locked onto the chaos in front of us—the training ground was alive with dogs zipping through obstacle courses like lightning bolts. Some leaped effortlessly over towering hoops, others raced up and down ramps with thrilling speed, and a few even rang the towering bells perched high on the boards—so high that even a human would struggle to reach. And yet, here were these dogs, defying limits and expectations.

Mingi, on the other hand, stood frozen beside me, his mouth slightly agape, his ears flicking in bewilderment. If a dog could have a "shocked beyond belief" expression, he was wearing it perfectly.

Clearing my throat, I turned to Taehyun, trying to ignore my own second hand nerves. “Uh… is there something we should know first before we start?”

Taehyun nodded, his professional demeanor slipping back into place as he strode toward one of the trainers. He returned moments later with a sleek, muscular Doberman at his side. The moment Mingi caught sight of the intimidating dog, he immediately cowered, ears flattening as he instinctively backed up against my legs.

Taehyun glanced at me apologetically, a small crease forming between his brows. “As much as I want to stay and guide you two, I’ve got a surgery back at the clinic that I can’t delay.”

I offered him a small, reassuring smile, gently patting his arm. “It’s okay, don’t be late, Doc.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “You and your nicknames.” Still, he gave me a brief, warm hug before turning to the trainer and giving him a formal goodbye. “I’ll leave them in your hands, Bangchan.”

With that, he waved one last time before disappearing through the exit.

I turned back to the trainer, who had an easygoing smile on his lips as he extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Chris, but just call me Bangchan. And here is my buddy, Yeo.” He gestured to the Doberman, who, as if understanding he was being introduced, lifted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

Mingi, however, nearly jumped out of his skin at the simple movement. Despite him being close with Douyin but with other people— most especially strangers who are men—- were still not in his cup of tea.

Bangchan noticed immediately, his sharp eyes softening with understanding. Without hesitation, he crouched down to Mingi’s level, making himself less intimidating as he kept his movements slow and non-threatening. Mingi’s paws shifted nervously against the dirt, his tail tucked tightly between his legs.

“It’s okay, bud,” Bangchan spoke in a gentle, reassuring tone, his eyes kind. “No one’s gonna hurt you here.” I swallowed, watching the small yet significant moment unfold. This was going to be a big step for Mingi. But as I knelt beside him, stroking his fur in quiet encouragement, “You’re okay, baby.”

"Hey there, bud, it’s okay." Bangchan’s voice was soft, reassuring. He gestured toward the Doberman beside him. "Yeo’s a gentle pup, just like you. You two are probably around the same dog age."

From his pocket, Bangchan retrieved a small treat and extended it toward Mingi. At first, my husky hesitated, his ears twitching as he eyed the offering with suspicion. But then his nose twitched, drawn to the scent, and with careful movements, he took the treat from Bangchan’s palm before immediately retreating behind me, seeking the comfort of my presence.

I smiled at his cautious but brave attempt, my heart swelling with pride.

Bangchan straightened, watching Mingi thoughtfully. “From the looks of it, we’ll start him off with light playground training for now. It’ll help him adjust to the environment and build self-awareness before we work on his confidence. We don’t want to overwhelm him just yet.”

I nodded, glancing at Yeo, the imposing yet graceful Doberman standing by Bangchan’s side. His sleek, dark coat gleamed under the overhead lights, his posture poised and strong. But what caught my attention was the subtle twitch of his nose as he turned his head toward me.

I stilled as Yeo stepped forward, closing the space between us with measured, deliberate movements.

Then, to my surprise, he nudged my wrist—right where my tattoo was.

I instinctively let him sniff my palm, my fingers barely moving as they hovered over his head. Something about the moment made my pulse slow, as if time had briefly paused. And then, as if following some unseen instinct, I let my hand gently settle on his head.

A strange sensation traveled up my arm—not excitement, not fear, but something else. Something deeper. A connection. Yeo's posture shifted, his frame relaxing in a way that felt... familiar. As though he had found something he wasn’t expecting—something even more comforting than the treats Bangchan had in his pocket.

My eyes traced over his features, taking in the rich brown of his gaze and the sharp lines of his face. It was then that I noticed the red patch near his left eye. I frowned slightly, curiosity bubbling inside me. I ran my fingers through his silk-like fur, my mind swirling with questions, but before I could speak, Yeo pressed his head closer into my touch.

And that was when a low, warning growl rumbled from behind me.

I turned to see Mingi, his posture still somewhat timid, but his stance firm, his tail raised slightly in agitation. His body language was clear—he wasn’t a fan of whatever was happening between me and Yeo, “Hey hey baby, it’s okay.”

Yeo moved back towards his trainer, Bangchan let out a quiet hum, his expression unreadable, "That’s... surprising."

I blinked, looking up at him. "What do you mean?" He stroked Yeo’s snout gently before giving the Doberman’s nose a small, affectionate bop. Yeo barely reacted, still staring at me with that same quiet intensity.

"Yeo rarely interacts with people," Bangchan finally said, nodding for me to follow him as he led us toward another section of the training grounds. I walked beside him, Mingi staying close to my side. Bangchan continued, his voice calm but laced with something heavier—something sorrowful.

"After he was intentionally left behind in a burning house by his owner, he stopped trusting people. He won’t go near kitchens or anywhere with fire. No matter how much I tried, he never let anyone get this close to him."

My steps faltered slightly as the weight of his words sank in. Yeo had suffered. And yet, here he was, standing next to me—choosing to trust me. I looked down at him again, and for the first time, I truly saw him. Not as just another well-trained dog, not as a mere companion to Bangchan, but as something more.

A survivor.

My mouth fell open as I stared at the Doberman in front of me. Yeo, the dog who supposedly never trusted humans, was standing by my side as if he had known me all his life. Mingi, after his brief display of irritation, softened. His ears twitched, and after a moment of hesitation, he leaned his head slightly toward Yeo as we walked. A silent gesture of empathy.

A small, proud smile tugged at my lips as I ran my fingers through Mingi’s soft fur, feeling the warmth of his unspoken understanding. When we finally reached the facility, I was taken aback.

It wasn’t just a training center—it was a playground. Bright, lively, and filled with various obstacles meant for agility and confidence training. I glanced at Mingi, noting how his ears perked up with curiosity. His tail waved excitedly from side to side, his previous nervousness replaced by pure enthusiasm.

I chuckled and crouched down beside him. “Do you wanna play, baby?”

It was like talking to a child, and the way Mingi’s eyes sparkled with joy was answer enough. The moment Bangchan gave the go-ahead, Mingi bolted toward the playground, zooming through the space like he had just been given a second wind.

Bangchan crossed his arms, watching the energetic husky with amusement. “Well… looks like he loves indoor games.” I hummed in agreement, my gaze following Mingi as he bounded around with boundless energy.

But a small worry gnawed at me. “Will he be able to overcome them?” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. Bangchan, however, responded without hesitation. “Of course, he will. You just have to believe in yourself and in Mingi. Your connection with him is what strengthens his soul.”

I turned to him, slightly intrigued by the certainty in his voice. “You sound like someone who’s experienced this before.” He chuckled, patting Yeo’s side before the Doberman suddenly ran off to join Mingi. The two dogs hesitated only for a second before naturally falling into a playful rhythm—chasing, teasing, and testing each other’s speed.

Bangchan watched them fondly before shifting his attention back to me, “Believe it or not, I’ve been having the strangest experiences with animals lately.”

That piqued my curiosity. I leaned in slightly, sensing there was more to his words. Noticing my intrigue, he smirked and leaned closer as well, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, “It started with a tuxedo cat. And trust me, I was never a cat person. But the moment I took care of that little guy, something just… clicked. Like, even though I had no idea what I was doing, it didn’t matter. I loved that cat anyway.”

I hummed, noticing a pattern, “And then,” he continued, his eyes flickering with amusement, “I met this fox.”

I blinked. “A fox?”

Bangchan nodded. “Don’t get me wrong—my family owns a cabin near the mountains, so I knew I’d run into wildlife sooner or later. But I wasn’t expecting to actually take care of one.” His words settled in my mind, stirring something deep inside me. Because lately… I had been experiencing something eerily similar.

I bit my lip, nerves twisting in my stomach as I debated whether to open up. But if Bangchan had experienced something similar, maybe talking about it would help me make sense of this strange situation.

With a small breath, I adjusted my wristwatch and held out my arm, revealing the tattoo on my wrist. Bangchan’s eyes lit up the moment he saw it. “That’s an amazing tattoo. Is it finished?”

I shook my head. “Believe it or not, I never planned on getting a tattoo. But this… it just appeared when I first adopted Mingi—or maybe even before that.” His eyebrows shot up, his entire posture shifting as he turned to face me completely. Resting his arms on the railing, he studied me carefully. “Wait, hold on. It just appeared?”

I nodded, lowering my gaze. “I know it sounds weird, but that’s the only way I can explain it. And honestly… I’ve been struggling to accept this whole situation.” Bangchan was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. Then, with a sharp exhale, he reached up and undid two buttons of his shirt.

My eyes widened, and I quickly looked away. Bangchan chuckled, clearing his throat to get my attention back. “Relax, I’m not stripping,” he teased.

Slowly, I turned back to him—only for my breath to hitch when I saw what he was showing me. On his back, slightly obscured by his shirt, was an incomplete flower, its petals frozen mid-bloom.

Without thinking, my fingers reached out, tracing the delicate lines. The sensation sent a strange tingle up my arm, the same one I’d felt when Yeo first nudged my tattoo.

Bangchan let me observe it for a moment before he pulled his shirt back on. “I almost gave my parents a heart attack when this showed up during my sister’s pool party,” he admitted with a chuckle. “But yeah, it started when I found this baby chick near my home.”

Something clicked in my mind. He said this was his third animal. Just like me.

I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think…?”

Bangchan met my gaze, and the look in his eyes told me we were thinking the exact same thing.

This was more than just coincidence.The tattoos, the animals—everything felt like part of something bigger. As we turned our attention back to the two pups playing together, something deep inside me stirred. Maybe these encounters weren’t just random.

Maybe they were meant to happen. Maybe… this was a quest. Not just to find them—but because they were destined to find me.

MEET THE (HOT) FRIENDLY DOG TRAINER:

TAGLIST: @soso59love-blog . @yoongisgirl69 . @forever-atiny . @ateezswonderland . @fr34k4c1dr41n . @breadedloafs . @k1xiara . @nkryuki . @beabatiny . @berryguks . @miniverse-zen . @fight-me-uwu . @xh01bri . @eclipwze . @blue-angel24 . @nkryuki . @matchahintonagar . @asyamonet22 . @szakias . @sanaegi . @notyaelly . @wolviejex . @bby-boo4u

[ryantryinx]

Mickey is bad at relying on people. The only person he’s ever been able to rely on has been Ian.Though since marrying the redhead he’s had to learn to rely on the Gallagher clan.

Ian being in a low slump is never easy, especially when the two of them own their own business. Mickey wants to stay home with his husband, and take care of him but after the 3rd day they couldn’t afford for both of them to not be making runs.

He hesitates making a message in the ‘ family group chat ‘. Hates putting his husband’s mental health on blast due to the way things were when he was first diagnosed. Though he didn’t have alot of choice. It wasn’t smart to leave Ian alone for 8+ hours a day in the kind of low he was currently in. Mickey knew too his thoughts would be stuck with him thru the day too. Finally managing to put the message in chat.

Mickey:*Hey, anyone able to sit with Ian at home tomorrow? Even for a bit, he’s stuck in bed. *

Immediately having regrets about the message sent thinking everyone had their own shit to deal with. Though quickly messages filed in behind.

Lip: *I can stop by for a few hours in the middle of the day with Fred.*

Debbie: *Could swing by after dropping Franny at school.*

Liam: *I can come by after school.*

Mickey chewed on the inside of his cheek reading the fast replies. It made him happy to know that he could rely on them when it came to Ian.

[littlemagicalstardust]

Young Bucks got asked about Best Friends in a recent interview with Tunnel Talk

TT: You guys were some of the first people that got us into wrestling in the way that we were following the storylines and understanding these characters. It was you and Best Friends, who are some of our favourites. Can you tell us something nice about the Best Friends?

Nicholas: Oh, they’re sweethearts. Are you talking about all three of them?

TT: Yes.

Nicholas: My God, we’ve been friends with all three of them for probably about fifteen years now. 

What is funny is that I still have Orange Cassidy in my phone as ‘Fire Ant’ (his previous wrestling name back in his CHIKARA days) and I’ve never changed the name. I always tell him that and he gets a kick out of that and that’s pretty funny.

We hit it off with Trent as soon as he left WWE. The first time he saw us was at this random Canada [indie] show that Teddy Hart was putting on. He saw us at the merch stand and we were selling a tonne of shirts and 8x10s and he only had one 8×10, one photo. We gave him hell for it. We were like, ‘What are you doing Trent? This is not how you make money on the indies, you big WWF Superstar!’ He had one photo and we gave him hell for it and ever since that day, we hit it off with him. We’ve been very close with him ever since. 

Matthew: We’ve toured Japan a lot with that guy too.

Nicholas: That’s right.

Chuck Taylor, of course, we’ve been good buddies with him since the CHIKARA days as well. It’s funny, there is a lot of the CHIKARA guys backstage to this day. Bryce Remsberg is another one, we’ve always been friends with him too.

A lot of those guys, we specifically hired because of our CHIKARA days with them. I remember that Tony [Khan] wasn’t very high on Orange Cassidy at first so we had to kind of sell him on him for a little bit. And I remember Tony saying: ‘You guys were right.’ 

Matthew: I have an old picture of us on our first New Japan tour in October 2013 and it is Nick, Trent and I standing in the rain at Tokyo Disneyland, wearing these Mickey ears these girls let us borrow just for the photo. At the time, Trent, for whatever reason, would only wear board shorts everywhere. It was freezing that day and he was standing there wearing board shorts. That day, I remember, we really hit it off [whilst] trying to find our way around Tokyo on the trains. We’ve been close ever since.

Nicholas: I love those guys. 

[calliecopper]

Ian Gallagher Being His Own Person, and Why That's Controversial

A meta about Ian's story during his time away from Mickey, and the hate his character receives for it. Inspired by @dazzle02 :)

How many times have you heard somebody say that they skipped season 8 of Shameless because Mickey wasn't in it? How many times have you heard somebody say that season 7 is only good during Mickey's episodes, or that the story is boring without Mickey in it, or that Ian's S6-8 arc was boring without Mickey? How many times have you heard somebody proclaim that Ian wasn't a good partner to Mickey?

Mickey is undeniably THE fan favorite character of the show, and with that comes a tendency for fans to defend him tooth and nail, even when he is in the wrong, and refuse to see any other points of view. Characters who go against Mickey in any way receive a harsh amount of criticism that sometimes is not fully justified. This applies even to Mickey's main connection to the story: Ian.

During season 5 and onward, some fans hold Ian's actions against him very harshly when I feel he deserves a bit more empathy. Of these, there are three main things people criticize his character for during seasons 5, 6, and 7 that I feel are not given proper analysis and thought by fandom.

Disclaimer before we get in because people feel very passionately about these two: Every interpretation of a character is entirely unique to each individual viewer, and these are just my opinions. This is in no way an anti-Mickey post, so as you read, keep in mind that any criticism toward him is not meant to make him out to be a bad character. Don't bite me.

Season Five: The Breakup of All Time

I think a large part of why people get so upset with Ian for the breakup is because of the growth Mickey experienced in seasons 4-5 leading up to it.

Mickey in seasons 1-3 is in extreme denial of being gay, and when he grows feelings for Ian, he lashes out and treats Ian like shit. Seeing Mickey's slow growth starting in season 3 brought interest to his character, and in season 4 with his major growth during his coming out, he becomes very compelling to a viewer. After all the angst that it took to get Mickey to finally open up, there's a natural desire to see that positive growth and relationship development continue. When Ian throws a wrench in that by breaking up with Mickey in season 5, people get upset, and they're going to direct that toward Ian because he is the easiest to blame.

There's the sentiment of, "Mickey came out for Ian, took care of Ian, and supported Ian when he needed him most despite his faults. Why is Ian leaving Mickey in the dust when he now needs him most?"

This is honestly not an unreasonable thing to feel when looking at things from Mickey's perspective.

But, when you take a look at Ian's character, and you really think of his motivations in that moment, his decision to break up is actually very understandable. Ian didn't break up with Mickey because he thinks Mickey is a bad partner or because he doesn't love Mickey enough. He broke up with Mickey because he thought that's what was best FOR Mickey.

I think comparing the breakup to their fight over marriage in season 10 to be an effective way to understand Ian better.

In season 10:

"How do you know you love me? Huh? How do you really know? I'm bipolar, right? I don't know who I am from one day to the next, and I can't guarantee shit. So why do you wanna spend the rest of your life with me?"

- Ian to Mickey, S10E9

Compare this to this conversation during the breakup:

"You used to love me. Now you don't even know who I am. Shit, I don't know who I am half the time... You don't owe me anything."

"I love you."

"The Hell does that even mean?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12

I feel that Ian's mindset is pretty similar in these two moments. In season 5, he is still grappling with his diagnosis, and he has no frame of reference of how a healthy life with bipolar can look. Everybody has been comparing him to Monica, and he himself seems to oscillate between thinking he is like her and not like her, so in his mind, he has nothing to offer anymore.

Then, in season 10, in his mind he proved himself right. He tried to get his shit in order, lived happily and found peace with his diagnosis, and then he fucked it up. He had an episode, and he lost everything he fought so hard to have. He has practically ruined his life because he DID what he FEARED he would:

"I hate the meds. You gonna make me take 'em?"

"You get fucking nuts when you don't."

"Are you gonna want to be with me even if I don't?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12

That conversation isn't Ian saying he isn't going to take his meds, given how in season six, he IS taking his meds. I interpret his above statement to be a warning to Mickey. Because Monica has tried to get on her meds before, has tried to get better, and has failed many times. IAN has gone off his meds willingly twice now. This is him telling Mickey, straightforward, "I do not like the meds, and there will always be a risk of me deciding not to take them."

And in seasons 8-9, he does exactly that. He goes off his meds, and he destroys everything he built for himself. That's part of the reason why he hesitates to marry Mickey in season 10, and part of the reason he breaks up with Mickey in season 5.

Ian views himself and his disorder to be a burden on the people he loves. He believes that Mickey will be better off without him.

"I don't want you sitting around, worrying, watching me, waiting for me to do my next crazy shit."

- Ian to Mickey, S5E12

Because Mickey HAS been doing that. Ever since he was diagnosed, Mickey has been watching Ian like a hawk, acting like a nurse, which frustrates Ian.

"Fuckin' nurse now?"

[...]

"I'm sick of your whiny, pussy crap. I don't need a fucking caretaker, alright? I need the shit-talking, bitch-slapping piece of Southside trash I fell for. Where is he? The fuck is he, Mickey?"

- Ian to Mickey, S5E10

But, of course, Mickey doesn't see it that way. To Mickey, Ian is anything but a burden he wants to unload.

"It means we take care of each other. [...] It means thick and thin, good times, bad, sickness, health, all that shit."

- Mickey to Ian, S5E12.

Mickey would do anything for Ian. He confronted his worst fear by coming out, stayed with Ian even after the infidelity, defended Ian after he kidnapped his son, and tried his best to understand a mental illness he had no prior knowledge about. Yet, Ian still won't commit to him. After everything, he still isn't good enough.

"I'm not saying never!"

"No, you're just saying you don't love me enough now."

- Ian and Mickey, S10E9

And Ian, meanwhile, thinks that HE isn't good enough for MICKEY. He has been diagnosed with a lifelong condition, one that he has seen ruin lives firsthand, something that will be a part of him for the rest of his life, and he doesn't wanna tie Mickey down to that life.

It's all one massive miscommunication.

Finally, I think the part that is the most confusing to fans regarding Ian's mindset during the breakup stems from his moments with Monica in S5E11 and S5E12.

Specifically, the parallels between these two conversations.

"Ian, there's always gonna be people that are gonna try and fix us. And you can never make those people happy. Like it breaks their heart just to look at you."

"Yeah, um, even Mickey now."

"He's your boyfriend, right? [...] I'm sure he means well, but you need to be with people who accept you for who you are. And they're out there. You should never apologize for being you."

- Monica and Ian, S5E11.

Vs.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Too much! Too much is wrong with me. That's the problem, isn't it? Too much is wrong with me, and you can't do anything about that. You can't change it. You can't fix me, 'cause I'm not broken. I don't need to be fixed, okay? I'm me!"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12.

Monica's interpretation of the relationship seems to paint Mickey in a negative light. "He means well, but he doesn't get it," or something along those lines. Based on her previous experiences with the diagnosis, she has come to the conclusion that people like Mickey or Fiona, who try to get them to take medication and are saddened by the diagnosis, are being controlling, and do not love them for who they really are. That's why she always went back to Frank; he actively tried to get her to NOT take her meds or get better, and did not encourage her when she DID try to get better. So, to her, being off her meds IS the TRUE version of herself, and the people who can not accept that do not accept her.

But I think, while Ian's lines parallel Monica's, that he does not think the same way that she does.

Toward the end of season 5, Ian seems to do a complete 180 from his previous statements on his similarities with Monica.

"You flushed your pills? You get thats a full-on Monica move, right?"

"I'm not Monica."

- Ian and Fiona, S5E8

Vs.

" [...] Cause they all say how alike we are."

"That's probably not a compliment."

"Uh... No, I think it is."

- Ian and Monica, S5E11

This happens in the wake of his arrest, after Ian's siblings talk about him to the military police. Many of their comments seem to hit Ian in a way that makes him feel misunderstood or like a burden.

Debbie: But he's been acting crazier for longer than that.

Lip: Yeah, at least this past year.

Officer: How would you characterize his behavior?

Debbie: Compared to how he used to be... He's different.

Lip: He'll go back and forth from, you know, being depressed, to, you know, incredibly wound up. I mean, he ran off with a baby for no reason.

Debbie: He almost hit me in the head with a baseball bat.

Fiona: Our mother was bipolar, so we know what it looks like. She put us through Hell, and- I'm not saying you put us through Hell, but when they're manic they can be destructive.

Officer: In your opinion, does he require medication?

Fiona: Yes.

Officer: Is he unable to care for himself?

Fiona: Sometimes, yes.

So, when Ian talks to Monica when they reconnect, Ian expresses loneliness and a feeling of isolation.

"I'm really glad you came, yknow? I just... I needed someone to talk to who... gets it."

- Ian to Monica, S5E11

When Monica tells Ian to not be ashamed and that she loves him for him, she is kind of acting like his Frank. The meds have been taking a toll, and recovery is so difficult that running with her and getting validation from the only other person who could "get it" is an easy choice to make. I think the combined factors of Mickey treating him so delicately, his siblings laying out his flaws so plainly, and his mother's open acceptance creates a feeling of bitterness or shame, and Ian is hoping to find comfort in his mother.

But it doesn't go the way he expects it to.

At the diner, he thinks that Monica is going to prostitute herself for money, and is relieved when she doesn't. It's likely he was thinking of his own stint at the Fairytale in this moment.

Then, he recalls a moment from his childhood that he does not look upon fondly, only for Monica to refer to it as "good times."

He meets Monica's partner and discovers he is an aggressive teenage meth dealer that she is helping to sell the meth.

I think Ian has a true moment of clarity during this. He had thought that he was vindicated, that everybody else was wrong, that they didn't understand, that Monica was right, and that he was perfectly fine just the way he was. But then he sees what Monica considers to be "a happy life."

"Ian, I'm finally happy. People like us, we can be happy. I love him, and that's the most important thing, to find somebody to love, right? Who loves you back for who you are. I want that for you. I love you. We're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay."

- Monica to Ian, S5E12.

Monica's perception of life is warped. What she considers a good life is living in a trailer selling meth. Good memories are traumatic memories for those around her. True love and support is an aggressive teenage dealer, or Frank Gallagher.

A simple drive to Ian was a horrifying kidnapping to Svetlana. Doing a porn that was no big deal to Ian was a betrayal of trust to Mickey. Joining Monica and ignoring the calls of his well-meaning but ignorant family to Ian was a painful and worrisome disappearance to them. Ian's perception HAS been warped, and he's crashing back to reality, realizing that he has run off with MONICA, realizing that he can't continue down the same path as her, and needs to go home.

He's come to accept that he is bipolar. He's internalized what his family has kept repeating, that he is just like Monica, and looking at her living like this, believing that she is living well, is terrifying to him.

So he goes home, believing that he is just like his mother, and he's doomed to be a piece of shit. He goes back, and he breaks up with Mickey. Because he doesn't think that people like him can be happy, and he doesn't think he'll be okay. And that isn't something that Mickey can change. Too much is wrong with him, and Mickey can't do anything about it.

Really, it's just a matter of Ian operating under the "if you love them, let them go" mindset, and Mickey interpreting it as a rejection. It's the two of them both believing they are not good enough for the other and internalizing it instead of properly communicating.

TL;DR: Ian's breakup with Mickey in S5E12 is not done in a healthy OR selfish mindset. To him, he will do nothing but drag Mickey down, and in his unmedicated and clearly altered state of mind, he thinks the best thing is to let him go.

Season Six: Dating Caleb and Other Blasphemy

The first time we see Mickey in season six, it's behind a pane of glass in an orange jumpsuit.

Mickey had tried to murder Sammi, Ian's half-sister, and had been sentenced to prison for 15 years. It's established that Ian has not been to visit Mickey much and is trying to move on past that time in his life. But, upon being bribed by Svetlana, Ian visits, and during this visit Mickey asks Ian a question:

"You gonna wait for me?" - Mickey to Ian, S6E1.

And when Ian shows hesitation:

"Fuckin' lie if you have to, man, eight years is a long time." - Mickey to Ian, S6E1.

So, Ian replies:

"Yeah. Yeah, Mick, I'll wait." - Ian to Mickey, S6E1.

Before even meeting Caleb, fans absolutely tear into Ian for his decision to not commit to Mickey in this moment. They call it selfish, or out of character, or unfair to ice Mickey out when he is going through this difficult time.

But, let's look at it from Ian's position.

Ian has dealt with abandonment issues his entire life, with both Monica and Frank being unstable and infrequent providers during his adolescence. Throughout his relationship with Mickey, they had been separated on three separate occasions, one of which was entirely voluntary on Mickey's part. Now, due to committing a major crime, Mickey has been sent away for up to fifteen years. They would both be in their thirties by the time Mickey would be released, or close to it if he got out early, and that's not even considering that he was actively taking part in jobs / activities that could extend his sentence, like stabbing people.

Ian has dealt with recurring disappointment and abandonment his entire life, and throughout their time together, Mickey hasn't really established himself as stable.

Now, before you bring out the pitchforks;

"But Mickey was there for Ian and supported him through seasons 4-5. He grew as a person and proved he IS reliable."

Yes, that's true. He did undergo massive development that allowed him to be a better partner and more reliable person to Ian. But, canonically that period of time only takes place over a few months.

Mickey, for the better part of 2-3 years, was NOT a good partner to Ian. Multiple years of an unsteady situationship is not so easily forgotten. Yes, Mickey 1000% had valid reasons for acting the way he did. It's made very clear in S3E6 and S4E11 why Mickey hides his sexuality and lashes out when forced to confront it. But that isn't an excuse. His reasons for acting in a negative way towards Ian the first three seasons is understandable, but he went about it in a bad way.

Not to mention that, despite his growth, Mickey has just been sent to PRISON. No matter how you spin it, his decision to go after Sammi was NOT justified and does not necessarily bring forth confidence in his reliability and stability.

It's not unreasonable for Ian to not want to wait for over a decade for a man who has not always been the best for him. It sucks as a viewer who is invested in them, but Ian was not in the wrong.

Beyond (justifiably) selfish reasons, Ian also already thought that he was bad for Mickey, was worried that he would ruin his life, and with Mickey's justification for his torture attempt being that he did it FOR Ian, that Sammi had it coming because of what she did TO Ian, Ian probably felt responsible for that as well. There was probably a level of guilt in Ian from the whole situation, both for Mickey being in prison and for leaving him there.

But from his point of view, it's better for everybody to try and move on.

What really bothers me about this criticism toward Ian is the sense that he OWED Mickey his time and loyalty. Because Mickey had given and sacrificed so much for Ian during seasons 4-5, it's like people think Ian is then obligated to return that for Mickey, no matter what Mickey did. It's a very transactional way to view the situation, and it just leaves me with an icky taste in my mouth. Nobody owes anybody anything in that situation. Ian does not owe Mickey companionship, and Mickey did not owe Ian support when he got put in prison in season 9. Returning to Ian was Mickey's decision to make, and not a decision Ian was obligated to make in season 6.

Now, onto the actual "dating other people" part of the conversation.

For months, Ian has done nothing but get his meds on track while working at Patsy's, then at the janitors job on Lip's campus. During this time, Ian expresses having a very low sense of self-worth.

"He as smart as you?"

"No."

"Yeah, he's smart."

"Lip is the genuis of the family."

"So that gives you an excuse for not finishing [high school]? You seem plenty smart, and Dav's uniform doesn't really suit you."

- Ian, Lip, and Professor Youens, S6E3

And:

"This is it for me, Lip. This job. This is where I land."

- Ian to Lip, S6E3

Which Lip comments on in a very concise way:

"Yknow, he thinks... Being bipolar means he's doomed to be a piece of shit like our mother."

- Lip about Ian, S6E3

Ian feels no sense of purpose during these months. He feels he has no worth and that he is doomed to work a dead-end job and have no happiness. He thinks he is just like Monica.

That only changes when he witnesses an accident on the highway, and he saves a woman's life by pulling her out of a burning car.

This leads us to Caleb.

Now I'll admit, this is where I take issue with the storytelling, because this would've been a PERFECT way to segue into Ian's EMT arc, but regardless of what I personally think would've been better, the way it plays out in canon does actually still make sense for Ian's character.

After saving the woman from the burning car, Ian collapses due to smoke inhalation and exhaustion. A firefighter on the scene provides Ian with oxygen, thus saving his life. Ian immediately fixates on this particular firefighter.

Now, Ian has a very complicated relationship with feeling his emotions post his diagnosis. In season five, when he is numbed by his meds, the only way for him to feel again is through pain, via self-harm or starting physical fights, and sex. In fact, sex plays a major part in many aspects of Ian's life.

From the age of fifteen, Ian had been consistently subject to sexual abuse. He's been used for his body by countless men throughout his teenage years and has been oftentimes reduced merely to his sexuality and what he can provide to his partner. Even Mickey, in season 2, tells Ian as such in a panicked rage.

"You think we're boyfriend and girlfriend here? You're nothing but a warm mouth to me."

- Mickey to Ian, S2E8.

(No, I'm not saying Mickey sexually abused Ian. But he did contribute to the way we see Ian default so heavily to objectifying and sexualizing himself.)

So, due to this recurring trauma, Ian has a tendency to default to sex as the primary way of getting satisfaction, be it emotional or physical.

So, when Ian gets a rush of adrenaline from the crash, after months of that numbness, he chases the emotions in the most effective way he knows how.

Ian goes to the firehouse with cookies to give as thanks to the firefighter who saved him, but with a clear ulterior motive of getting laid. When he finds out that the particular firefighter (who happens to be part of the "gay shift" which is an odd writing choice) he saw on the highway is married, Ian meets Caleb. In this scene, they speak all of one line to each other when Caleb invites Ian to a firehouse softball game. The next time we see them on screen together, Ian acts very flirtatious toward Caleb, which sets forth their relationship.

"You ever pitch?"

"... Usually, but I'm open depending on what you're into. Where we doing this?"

"Follow me."

[...]

"Wait, we're actually playing softball?"

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5

I think Ian receives hate for this simply because he's expressing interest in a guy that isn't Mickey. Fans get the impression that Ian is moving on too fast or that his interest in Caleb is sudden or rushed. However, I think the rushed nature actually works to show Ian's intentions. In this moment, Ian is not really looking for a full-on relationship. Given how little they interacted thus far, the fact that Caleb wasn't even who Ian was originally interested in, and how Ian's comments consistently err on the side of sexual, its safe to say Ian was just looking for a hookup. In fact, it's Caleb who pushes so hard FOR the relationship.

Mickey, in a deleted scene, hooks up with an inmate right after talking with Ian. If Ian's relationship with Caleb had only been a fling or hookup, I don't think Ian would've been as heavily criticized. As it is, fans get upset at this relationship because it IS a relationship. They go on dates, Ian starts staying with Caleb, and really they seem to be very domestic.

But I don't think Ian was as dedicated to the relationship with Caleb as fans make him out to be.

From the jump, Ian seems uncomfortable with the quick-moving pace of it. At first he only seems interested in sex with Caleb, but upon the negative reaction that provokes, Ian conceded to going on a date with Caleb (which is a bit of a slap in the face to Mickey fans after Gallavich's ruined date.)

"[...] I was hoping to get my hands on your hose."

"Is that what this is to you? A fuck?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing. Come on, let's get out of here."

"No. I knew you were younger than me, but I thought you were a grown-up."

"Fuck. Okay. Okay. Hey, I'm into you, alright? I thought you were into me."

"I am."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't stick my dick in just any guy."

"What do you want, then?"

"Seriously? Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Yeah."

"A date."

"With, like, flowers and chocolate and shit?"

"No, we could skip the flowers."

"Okay. You're on."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5

(Side note, pulling a "is that all this is to you" after two non-romantic interactions is not just quick in terms of hookup culture, which Ian is more attuned to, but is quick in any terms. More on that later.)

During this date, Ian is visibly very uncomfortable. Some would chalk this up to him having never been on a date before, and the writing even seems to imply that,

"Okay, look, I have no idea what I'm doing. My last boyfriend wasn't much of a talker, his idea of a conversation was to insult me a bunch and then punch me right before we banged."

- Ian to Caleb, S6E6

but that's actually not true, DESPITE the writers forgetting that.

"You know, Mickey and I never went out on dates. Ned never took me out, Kash and I fucked in the back of a convenience store, and I don't think jerking off strangers in a nightclub counts, so..."

- Ian to Lip, S6E6.

He actually HAD gone out on a "date" with Ned in season three, where he was visibly less uncomfortable than on his date with Caleb. He also went to many loft parties during his time dancing at the club, wherein he blended in very well and was able to sorta chameleon himself with the northside crowd. I think the show wants us to believe his discomfort is from him "never having been on a date before" or being unfamiliar with a "slower" pace, but I think his discomfort actually would stem from him just genuinely not being interested in Caleb in a romantic way, and thus feeling awkward on a date that's in a more romantic setting (compared to his one with Ned, which was undoubtedly more sexual.)

I also think his discomfort stems from being completely out of his element. Ian has taken a massive hit to his confidence since his diagnosis, so his Southside roots bring about a bit more hesitancy in him than it might have before, and he may be less confident in his ability to chameleon. That's why, during the date, Ian shows discomfort with Caleb when he shows more "class" than Ian.

"Usually, I get a bunch of apps to share. You good with that?"

"[Uncertain hum] ... Appetizers! Sure, yeah, big- big fan of apps."

[...]

"You seem like a very pensive kinda guy. You an only child?"

"Uh, no."

"Brothers and sisters?"

"A bunch, yeah."

"Older or younger?"

"Both."

"What about your parents? Both still alive?"

"... Yeah."

"... Fantastic. I'm learning so much."

[...]

"Where I'm from, people communicate with their fists."

"Where's that?"

"Southside."

"Mmm. Hands of steel. Okay, so you're a street rat. A brawler."

"Is that a problem?"

"Only if you make it one."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6.

Then, beyond their first date, we have the actual relationship to dive into.

Throughout his scenes with Caleb, Ian seems to oscillate between neutrality, discomfort, or mild enjoyment in the situations he finds himself in.

There's this interaction, for example, where Ian lets Caleb take charge in defining their relationship:

"So what are we doing?"

"Whatever you want, I guess."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E7.

Or this moment:

"What are you smiling at?"

"I like having you over here. What are you smiling at?"

"I like having a purpose."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E8.

Or when Caleb invites Ian out with his friends, and we see Ian slip into his chameleon persona, mirroring the petty mannerisms of the most vocal participant of the conversation, as well as avoiding diving too much into his personal history.

"You haven't told me which one is your ex."

"Guess."

"Old guy, pink sweater."

"How'd you know?"

"Ooh, a redhead, Caleb? Does his carpet match his drapes?"

"You're a good sport."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E8.

[...]

"If we had known you were bringing a middle school student, Caleb, we wouldn't have come to a place that cards."

"Oh, no, it's cool, I don't drink. I hear it makes your skin old and leathery."

"That's-that's how we're playing this?"

"Hey, you threw down first."

"Where you from, kid?"

"Back of the Yards."

"Local boy. What's your story?"

"Story?"

"Who you are, what you do, how did you meet this chocolate bundt cake?"

"Met him at the firehouse."

- Ian and Gregory, S6E8

[...]

"We like this one, Caleb. Don't we, Gregory?"

"I mean, If young, beautiful, and kind of a smartass is something to like, sure, fine, I guess we do."

- Caleb's friends about Ian, S6E8.

OR, in a deleted scene where Caleb expresses frustration at Ian keeping the distance between him and Ian's family, as well as Ian's lack of communication, while Ian seems unbothered or even perplexed by Caleb's frustration.

"So, where'd you sleep last night?"

"Home. Got done at three, told you I'd be late."

"Yeah, like nighttime late, not next day late."

"Well, I didn't wanna wake you, and I had to go back there to grab some stuff: clothes, towels..."

"Where's there?"

"Home, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Back of the Yards."

"Right. You did mention that once. I still don't know where it is or who I'd call if there was an emergency?"

"Uh... my brother, I guess? Or my sister."

"Brother or sister. Okay. I'll just track down Ian Gallagher's brother or sister on the internet."

"I'll... put their numbers in your phone."

"Great."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E11 deleted scene.

OR any of the follwing:

When they go to get Ian tested for STDs, he is visibly uncomfortable having Caleb in the room with him.

He is only comfortable revealing his bipolar disorder if it is done in exchange for another secret from Caleb.

He isn't very comfortable sharing his past, only references his previous relationship in a lighthearted manner, and he only reveals his sexual history upon feeling pressured to do so, which he purposefully presents in a callous way.

To me, the entirety of Ian and Caleb's relationship reads as Ian's desperation for validation through sex, which leads to him putting up with a relationship he isn't entirely comfortable in or commited to or ready for. To me, it seems like he's truly just looking for companionship in any way he can get it.

Out of everything, though, I think what really gets to fans most about this storyline is the constant comparison of Caleb to Mickey as a means of demonizing Mickey.

Throughout the entirety of Ian and Caleb's relationship, there is a constant comparison between the two relationships, seemingly with the intent of painting Mickey as a horrible partner.

When Ian tells Lip about his upcoming date with Caleb, he remarks that he never went on dates with Mickey, which comes off as an unnecessary jab.

During his date with Caleb, Ian talks about his lack of effective communication skills, which reflects negatively on Mickey, to the point Caleb brings forward the idea of domestic abuse.

During the wedding that Ian attends with Caleb, Ian mentions Mickey's marriage to Svetlana, and he uses a tone that comes off as belittling the situation and how difficult it was for Mickey.

There's this line, when Caleb asks Ian to kiss for the first time:

"Can I kiss you?"

"I thought kissing comes after you've had sex a bunch of times."

"Ian, kissing comes whenever you want it to. Even now."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6.

Then, there's Mandy stating that Caleb was better than Mickey.

"A hot black fireman. Also an artist."

"Upgrade from my brother."

"I miss Mickey, but uh... This new guy's nice."

- Ian and Mandy, S6E9

These near constant comparisons to Mickey are frustrating to fans, because it can often feel like Ian, or even just the writers and the narrative, are trying to belittle Mickey's character and reduce him to a one-note toxic ex, which completely spits in the face of the development that he went through. THAT is what is most frustrating to fans.

Because it's true that Mickey was not always the best partner. In real life, Mickey would be a walking red flag, and Gallavich would be undeniably toxic. But that applies to EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER in Shameless. That is the entire point of the show. None of them are particularly good people. They all do shitty things, but they all have compelling reasons for doing it. That's why we can look at these characters and feel connected to them instead of just absolutely hating them.

It's a really odd writing choice for a show that focuses on morally gray characters, or the idea that nobody in the show is really a good person, to decide to play moral high ground in this particular instance, and have Ian suddenly turn his nose up at Mickey's behaviors.

But is this really how Ian feels?

Because, as established, Ian is VERY good at playing chameleon. He is good at shaping himself into whatever a partner wants him to be. He mirrors his partners mannerisms, beliefs, and attitudes.

And Caleb, for all that the story wants to make us believe he's better than Mickey, is actually not the best partner either. Not just for cheating on Ian in season seven and then gaslighting Ian about it; he shows some toxic behaviors in season six as well, including being lowkey judgmental about Ian's Southside roots.

Take, for example, Caleb implying that the Southside is trash, but that he can see the beauty in Ian despite being from the Southside:

"That's my latest. I love to find the treasure inside the trash. Trying to find the secret life in things. What it wants to be instead of what it is."

"Is that what you're doing with me?"

"Good question. Can I kiss you?"

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6

(Which, funnily enough, this line from Caleb goes pretty against the sentiment that Monica had in season five, of Ian finding somebody who loves Ian for who he already is, as Mickey did.)

Or, for another example, Caleb judging Ian pretty heavily during the softball game for being "not grown-up." Simply because Ian expresses sexual interest in him above romantic.

"Cmon, let's get out of here."

"No. I knew you were younger than me, but I thought you were a grown-up."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5.

Which, as I pointed out before, is really strange behavior. Participating in hookup culture isn't something that Ian needs to be shamed over. There's a sentiment of "Hooking up is beneath me, it's immature," to Caleb's tone, which is unfair. Now, he has reasons for this, that being his experience with getting HIV from a hookup who lied to him, which draws a pretty interesting parallel to Ian.

"Don't worry, guy I did the scene with said he was clean."

"He didn't use a rubber? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E5.

Vs.

"Guy in college. He lied to me."

- Caleb to Ian, S6E8.

(Which I actually find to be a very interesting plot point and is actually a pretty good scene.)

So, while Caleb was not wrong to put forth a boundary by not hooking up, he was wrong for acting as if IAN was the problem in the situation. Not to mention, his behavior at the game is very strange when taken into account how little they've interacted thus far. He had understandable reasons for his negative reaction, but he went about it the wrong way. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Anyways, I could talk about the relationship between Ian and Caleb more, but that's not what the point of this is.

The point I'm trying to make is that Caleb, however covertly, expresses a negative or biased view toward the Southside lifestyle. And Ian, being the type to mimic his partners, follows along in that.

Ian already fears that he is going to be left. He is afraid that showing Caleb who he really is and not being the idealized version of himself will lead to Caleb breaking up with him.

"I'm enjoying it while it lasts."

"You think he'll dump you?"

"Well, I've told him I'm bipolar, and my family's screwed up, and he took it pretty well. But it's one thing to hear it and another to live it, so... We shall see."

- Ian and Mandy, S6E9

So, he chameleons. He makes himself the treasure in the trash. He distances himself from the image of a brooding, Southside street rat.

Because, after so long of constant pain and numbness during and post his diagnosis, Caleb is the first good thing he's found.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time."

- Ian to Caleb, S6E8.

And really, everything that I just talked about doesn't matter when you think about it that way.

No matter how dedicated or invested Ian was in his relationship with Caleb, it still provided him with companionship and validation, which as we know, is something that Ian has an unhealthy dependence on to find self-worth.

And I don't think Ian was wrong in searching for that connection simply because that connection wasn't with Mickey. He could've been well and truly in love with Caleb, and he wouldn't deserve some of the hate he receives for his canon actions.

It's easy to look at Ian's relationship with Caleb and get frustrated because of all the time that was put into Ian and Mickey's relationship. But beyond the instinctual negative feeling that comes with seeing Ian with anybody other than Mickey, his relationships outside of Mickey deserve to be analyzed and observed for what they actually do for HIS character, and not just immediately cast aside as unnecessary or ooc.

So, to summarize:

Firstly, Ian wasn't selfish for not waiting 15 years for somebody in prison. Whether he was serious about Caleb or not, Ian was under no obligation to dedicate himself to Mickey. Ian did not owe Mickey anything simply because Mickey was there for Ian when shit got tough. If they had been together, sure, Ian would've been a lot shittier for leaving Mickey alone. But as it was, they were broken up, and even if they hadn't been, Ian would've had every right to not want to continue seeing Mickey after his decision to harm Sammi, just as Lip was justified in not wanting to be with Mandy anymore after she ran over Karen.

Secondly, Ian dating Caleb wasn't bad for his character. In fact, I think their relationship in season six was actually a very interesting way to progress Ian's character and get more insight into his mind and how he operates.

Thirdly, Ian and Caleb's relationship deserves to be analyzed for what it is, rather than what it isn't. Just because Ian is not with Mickey doesn't mean that he doesn't undergo some huge development in this season, both in and outside his relationship with Caleb. Furthermore, Ian entering a new relationship gives us the opportunity to see more sides of his character, and as such the relationship should be analyzed as it's own separate entity, and not just as a hurdle in the way of Gallavich.

Fourth, Ian was not just waiting to cast Mickey aside to jump on the next dick possible. I've seen this criticism before, and when looking at his actual arc at the beginning of S6 and analyzing his general character, that's just simply not true. Entering a new relationship is not equal to immediately disregarding Mickey.

TL;DR: The hate Ian gets from this season mainly stems from "Ian date somebody aside from Mickey, bad Ian" without any further thought behind why he enters the relationship and what the relationship actually means to him. There is no separation in the minds of fans between Ian and Mickey, and therefore, Ian having experiences and an identity outside of Mickey is negatively perceived.

Season Seven: Putting His Own Wellbeing First

This one will be less long winded than the previous one, because I have less to say on it, honestly.

During the entirety of Ian's bipolar arc, it is pretty clearly shown that to maintain mental wellness, Ian needs stability.

When Mickey shows up and asks Ian to run away with him to Mexico, that's threatening to uproot every amount of stability Ian has managed to secure the past two seasons of the show.

I honestly don't see as much hate directed toward Ian for his decision to leave Mickey at the border as I see for his previous decisions. I'd say the main thing I actually see directed toward this season is just that Ian's story is boring without Mickey in it. Mostly because he enters another new relationship with Trevor after his relationship with Caleb, which really just follows the cyclical Shameless cycle of, "Don't know what to do with a character? Give them a new love interest!" But because I talked about the judgement for non-Gallavich Ian relationships above, I don't particularly feel like doing a deep dive into the Ian and Trevor relationship in this meta.

What I want to talk about relates to the Mickey Mexico storyline, though, and that's the hate other characters recieve for trying to dissuade Ian from going.

After finding out that Mickey escaped from prison, Fiona and Ian have the following conversation:

"What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. You ever, uh, think about about what would've happened if you'd run off with Jimmy-Steve?"

"Lying sociopath Jimmy-Steve? My life would be a nonstop psycho-thriller. I definitely dodged a bullet with that one."

"What if nothing ever gives you that same thrill again? Still feel like you dodged a bullet?"

"I don't know. Probably. Where's this coming from?"

"Things have been weird between me and Trevor since Mickey got out."

"You mean since Mickey busted out of prison and has got half the Chicago Police Department circling the Southside looking for him."

"Can't get him out of my head. Just trying to stop myself from doing something I shouldn't."

"You turned your life around. Mickey would set a match to it. You've done really great without him, and I'm really fucking proud of you."

- Ian and Fiona, S7E10.

I've seen this conversation criticized many times because of how "unfairly" Mickey is treated in this scene. But I truly think that nothing said in this scene was wrong, and Fiona was 100% right.

In the past, Fiona has definitely shown a prejudice against the Milkovich family before. Specifically with Mandy, Fiona seems to look down upon her and disapproves of the relationship between her and Lip. This on its own is unfair treatment and is annoying to witness.

But in this particular case, absolutely nothing she is saying is wrong or biased simply because Mickey is a Milkovich.

People take the line, "Mickey would set a match to it," and compare it to his behavior in late Season 4 through season 5, where Mickey is taking care of Ian, and say that Fiona is being untruthful or hypocritical. If Mickey had never been sent to prison, or even if he had just been released legally, and Ian was simply thinking about cheating on Trevor and getting back with Mickey instead of running away with him, then the criticism toward Fiona would be more justified. But as it is, Mickey is a wanted fugitive, and Ian running away with him would make Ian a fugitive as well, and WOULD effectively set a match to the life Ian had spent the past two seasons working toward. He would be giving up a career he worked hard for and fought to have, he'd be living in stressful conditions on the run, he'd have no support system, and he would have less ease of access to his medication. Running with Mickey would have been the wrong decision for Ian's wellbeing, and honestly, Mickey should never have asked Ian to go with him.

I think that many people have rose colored glasses on when it comes to Gallavich, specifically with Mickey, and that makes it harder to view these moments unbiased. But, looking at it objectively, Mickey was so wrong for asking Ian to come with him to Mexico. He KNOWS that Ian needs stability with his bipolar diagnosis, and he KNOWS that this would be a stressful life he'd be forcing Ian into.

Simply put, he's acting selfishly in that moment. Having your own interests in mind is not always a bad thing, but in this specific case, Mickey would have thrown a huge wrench into Ian's life is Ian hadn't made decisions in HIS best interest.

Again, I have less to say on this as I did other subjects, because to me it feels much more cut and dry. Mickey was in the wrong here 100%, Fiona was not being wrongfully judgmental toward Mickey, and Ian was not in the wrong for not going with Mickey.

After so long of seeing them apart, it makes sense to want to see them together again. So when Ian, again, is the one making the decision to end their relationship, fans are going to lash out at him and those around him.

But it's important to put aside biases and allow your favorite character to be in the wrong occasionally. Mickey is not perfect, and criticism against him, both from characters in the show and fans, is not unfounded nor unjustified.

TL;DR: Mickey was wrong for asking Ian to uproot his life and run to Mexico, and calling that out isn't defamation of his character.

To End This Yap Session:

Ian is by no means a faultless character, and he is not exempt from criticism both inside and outside of his relationship with Mickey. However, I often feel that the criticism he faces is for the wrong reasons, and not much contemplation or exploration is done on him as much as it is for Mickey.

I love Mickey. He's an amazingly complex character, and his relationship with Ian is one of my favorite parts of the show. But in being a complex character, he is also an imperfect character.

I feel that many fans get very protective over their favorite characters, to the point that anything that goes against that character's interests is labeled as bad, and any criticism toward his character is disregarded immediately.

In this particular case of Gallavich, I feel that post season three, fans often see things from Mickey's point of view without looking at Ian's as much. This meta was simply to give my own thoughts on Ian's most "controversial" moments among fans. Obviously this is mostly condensed to season six and his relationship with Caleb, which I feel is the biggest example of jumping to conclusions and only seeing the surface level of his character.

However, I would like to acknowledge that Ian is also an insanely popular character in the Shameless fandom. While he is misunderstood in many instances, he is given much more sympathy and understanding than many other characters in the show, especially many of the female characters. This long-winded meta is only focused on the concerning tendency for fans to link Ian's identity to Mickey entirely without allowing him to be an individual, but a majority of the time he is still a beloved character who is treated favorably by fans. Compared to a character like Debbie, Ian sees much more support, and I feel that the energy I put toward this meta and trying to understand Ian should also be applied to (almost) EVERY character in the show.

Anyways feel free to leave thoughts.

[tastesousweet]

⭒ the girl with the tattoo (x) - pt 1 pt 2 p3 p4 p5 p6 p7 p8 p9

matt sturniolo x fem!oc / reader

summary : after three resentful weeks apart, only matt and y/n could find themselves more fond of each other.

warnings : angst, fluffy, mentions of alcohol and weed, sort of proofread

mickey speaks : THANK U FOR UR PATIENCE SWEET ANGELS HERE’S THE 10TH PART FOR YOU!!! tgwtt is already in double digits 🥹 only like 8 more parts to go

THIS IS PART TEN GO READ THE OTHERS FIRST PLEASE!!!

"COME on y/n we'll have so much fun!"

you haven't had a night out in weeks.

following matt's party, you swore off alcohol until your own birthday in mid-september, afraid of the amount you'd allow yourself to consume now that you're feelings are supremely hurt and bitterness coated your tongue.

it was difficult to turn down the first week, despite the smell and taste of any drink making your stomach turn you craved the drunken effect and secretly wanted to run into matt- just to see what he'd have the nerve to say to you. but the mature, wiser part of your brain knows there is nothing good to come from spiteful drinking. so you've declined every weekend.

you know in your heart that your friends only want you to feel good and have fun with them. it's the only reason you've tolerated this current conversation for so long.

"i believe you! but i'm just saying i'll have just as much fun with this bowl of strawberries and my bed," you reach into a cabinet for one of the many off-white glass bowls.

"baby you haven't been out with us in so long, we miss you!" remi beams kicking her legs as she sits atop your counter, fully dressed and decorated for her night out (contrasting the bare face, oversized tee, and panties you wear).

you sigh and look over to the three girls huddled in your kitchen, "no, you guys know 'm not drinking right now," you shake your head and push off of the counter heading towards the fridge in search of your berries.

"i'm just confused on why you're suddenly so strict on drinking? and regardless of the drinking you could have fun without it if you loosen up a bit..." erin replies while resting her body against the wall next to remi's spot.

you roll your eyes while your face is still in your fridge before shutting it back, "i don't understand what's not clicking erin, i don't want to go out at all! i want to stay at home and be away from drunk people and watch something brainless and then i wanna go take a fucking bath. i'm so tired of having to explain and repeat myself. please go, please have a good time, and please- respectfully, mind your business."

you run water over your strawberries and andrea's eyes widen as she turns back towards the counter to pour herself another shot.

"alright, whatever.” erin shakes her head, “dre, remi, i'm gonna go wait outside this is annoying. she can stay bitter," she walks out and whispers, "bitch," under her breath before shutting the door.

it's silent for a second as you begin to harshly cut the stems off of the fruit, remi comes behind you and wraps a caring arm over your shoulder for a hug, "are you okay?"

"yes, i'm fine, you can go have fun..." you turn to face her and offer a strawberry.

"i really do miss you,” you kisses your shoulder and bites into the strawberry, “love you," she reminds you as she grabs her bag and dismisses herself to check with erin. you nod your head and continue to stare blankly as you repeatedly cut.

andrea speaks up after hearing the door fully shut. she breathes heavily as she stares down at her hands on the counter, "cariña ("honey"), you’re not a bitch.”

“i know…” your voice is small.

“i know you do. i also know something’s hurting you badly right now and i selfishly wish you’d fucking tell me so i could help.” she licks her glossed lips, “but as long as you’re being kind to yourself, i can deal with you keeping this to yourself.”

your eyes brim with salty tears and when you let out a broken sniffle she's immediately by your side. "nooo don’t cry, i’m already pre-drunk! you know i will too!" you try to continue preparing your fruit but andrea turns your body to make room for a warm hug. you're quick to tuck your face into her perfumed neck and let out your feelings through cry's.

you had always thought that what andrea (or anyone) didn't know about your sex life with matt wouldn't kill her, but quite frankly it's killing you. you want to tell her everything he’s ever made you feel- for all andrea knows matt was once a silly crush and currently a little less than a friend to you.

but at the same time you just know she would tell you to stop seeing him if she knew everything. she would remind you that at your core you are far too caring and attached to handle recurring casual sex with him in the first place.

"i'm so sorry, drea. i really wanna tell you but i’m not ready." you croak pitifully.

not ready to accept the embarrassment of wanting him to like you this bad.

and for someone as willingly vulnerable as you, you’re especially not ready to hear her scold you a little for somehow hurting your own feelings and putting your friendship with erin on a thin line over some guy.

your words only confuse her brain more, but she can only continue to rub circles into your back and silently pray you didn’t do something illegal or, like, morally cruel.

౨ৎ

matt would love to say he hasn’t thought about you since you bitched out on him the night of his birthday, but he could never just blatantly lie.

he can say he has gone the past few weeks without reaching out to you- which mostly speaks to both of your stubbornness and pride.

in fact, you’re part of his reason for having his own night in tonight- though it’s far less sadistic of a reason than yours. he’s simply grown bored of the repetitive night life he and his friends have.

you were always there for him to tease and secretly fuck around with whenever your friend groups would combine for the night. but as of late he’s left sitting at the bar swigging down beers and scrolling on his phone (sometimes he’d get irrationally irritated at you for not posting on your instagram or snapchat stories, feeling a as if it was a direct punishment to remove him from knowing any details about your life) or until the rest of the group throw the towel in.

on the worst and most irritating of nights he’ll take an uber home by himself. and those were the nights he would get so close to being irrational- showing up to your house and confronting you was oh so enticing. but he’d talk himself out of it and go home to fuck his fist like you’d probably tell him to do.

and on the most horny and pathetic of nights he'd end up in the backseat of his car finger-fucking erin with her tongue in his mouth. it ended at that though, matt's skin started to crawl thinking of when you rode him in the front seat not too long ago. he had pinched his eyes shut and pulled erin's hands away from his zipper, swaying her with some sweet "i just wanted to make you feel good s’all" and a kiss before she left and he awkwardly drove himself home- pondering how little self control he had to be desperate enough to do even get that far.

so, he didn’t even bother to go out tonight. when chris and nick asked him through his closed door, he told them he’ll stay in for some “peace and quiet.” really, he just couldn’t stand to be disappointed by the guaranteed lack of you being there.

he sits in his desk chair, legs spread casually, and sketchbook held against his thigh as he scribbles around to formulate a few rough outlines for upcoming clients. somewhere in the mix he begins to sketch out a familiar cartoon cat, which only irritates him and makes him close the book abruptly, shoving it into his desk’s drawer.

matt rubs his hands over his face a few times and lifts himself from the chair, heading straight for his bedside table. he bites at his lips while digging through the drawer, eventually finding the pretty red hot blunt you rolled and gifted him.

he makes his way out to the patio, not bothering to turn the outdoor lights on; blunt, lighter, and phone in tow. he slouches into one of the many chairs near the glass door and places the blunt between his lips, shuffling as he digs in his back pocket for his lighter.

the spark of the bright flame highlights his focused face for only a few seconds while he pricks the end of the misshapen yet smoothly rolled blunt. he breathes in the smoke immediately, throwing the lighter onto a table nearby. he tilts his backwards to blow out swirls of smoke above him.

matt initially wants to wait to call you until he feels high enough, mostly to give him an excuse for calling in the first place because he knows you’ll be expecting one. but he can't fucking wait, he wants to know what you're doing right now.

matt continues to effortlessly inhale and exhale several hits as he searches his phone for your contact.

his thumb hovers over the dull button that would change a lot for him. calling you means looking like a dumbass, as if he can't handle not knowing you (apparently he can’t but he wouldn’t admit to it). calling you means he’s breaking this implied break up- for complete lack of better terms.

but who’s to say you’ll even answer and give him a chance to do any of that? and suddenly his phone is vibrating in his hand as he raises it to his ear.

it takes four rings for you to answer, though you're completely silent on the other end. he waits and you wait. he truly didn’t think this far ahead. you only give him a few extra seconds to be silent before you hang up all together.

matt kisses his teeth and redials. when you eventually answer again he speaks through the smoke in his lungs, "hi. why'd you hang up?"

"matt, don't call my phone and expect me to speak to you first." your voice has a bite to it that still surprises matt a little. it's so infrequent for you to be harsh or upset (as long as matt has known you, you've been nothing but cheerful and well… sunny) that it's oddly pleasant to see how you handle negative emotions- it reminds him that you’re not always good, something he’d always weirdly envied about you.

he releases more smoke in the air around him, "my bad, sweetheart."

"just tell me why you’re calling. are you drunk or ...?"

"no. i just wanted to know what you're doing."

you sigh heavily, "why does that concern you...?"

his eyes pinch as he stares out into the dark backyard, "why're you bein' so difficult? 'm just trying t-"

"matt. get there, please." you rush, though you secretly are enjoying hearing his voice and the romanticized idea that he must care a little if he’s reaching out again.

“yeah.” he takes a breath, “i don’t know. i’m just, like, here…by myself, and i wanted to remember what you sounded like.”

you smirk to yourself but drop it immediately, “okay…well, this is what i sound like.”

“yes, so soothing, i could fall asleep right here,” you can hear him audibly stretch.

“oh, i’m putting you to sleep?” you tease.

“yeah, i need you to come over and wake me up,” he inhales once more.

you’re silent and he breathes out again, “fuck was that too much- i’m sorry.”

“definitely. i need you to calm down, sir.”

“oh i’m so calm, baby,” he moans out playfully.

“matt, i’ll hang up-”

“woah! let’s not make such rash decisions?!”

“okay then.”

“thank you for answering,” his voice is muffled, “you could’ve blocked me- i talked to you so crazy that night and i do feel bad about, i want you to know.” he pauses and you silently process as he continues to compliment you, “you’re the only woman besides, like, my mother, who is just classy as fuck and way too kind to everyone whether they deserve it or not.”

you could never have expected to hear any words of admiration from matt in regards to you. “oh my god, are you near a couple of trees right now? how’d you get so sappy all of a sudden?”

matt takes a second to register your joke before his entire face crinkles and he shakes his head, giggling, “bad joke. such a bad joke.”

you let yourself laugh a little as well before pulling together, “thank you for apologizing, i honestly didn’t expect that from you.”

“well i don’t hand them out like that so i guess you’re lucky or something.”

“i guess i am…” you smile into your words a little.

“what have you been doing?”

“like the past few weeks or right now?”

“i was talking about right now but you can say both.”

“just was checking! i don’t want to talk to much, i know you’d hate to listen to it.”

“heyyy! really? throwin’ some shit i just told you i didn’t mean right in my face like that?”

“i’m sorry i had to!”

“you were holding on to that one, huh?”

“just a little.”

“okay, tell me everything and i’ll listen.”

“i know i made it seem like i’ve been doing a lot but i’ve honestly just been working a bunch. it’s not as much of a nightmare as it sounds though- working long shifts has helped me fall asleep quicker. i’ve also started cooking a lot more whenever im bored which andrea looooves. and… um, right now i’m taking a bath.”

matt’s eyes widen and he chuckles, “dammit! i knew i should’ve facetimed instead!”

you bite your lip to hold back a laugh yourself, “what are you doing, matt?”

“guess.”

“i mean, i know you’re smoking but you could be in a random bedroom at a party or like, at some other bitch’s house…i don’t know, i’m just guessing!”

“never that,” he laughs- which you can’t decipher as a sarcastic or genuine one -and explains further, “‘m at home, outside with that perfect little blunt you made.”

“oh, for real?”

“uh huh, she’s treating me real good.”

“i’m glad. can you finish telling me how you’ve been?”

“yeah, um-”

“mattttt!” a very drunk nick suddenly yells while sliding open the glass door.

matt literally jumps and is immediately annoyed, you can hear it in his voice despite it being muffled now, “dude, you scared the shit out of me! what do you need?”

“hello to you too, ugh, i forgot you’re all moody right now. what are you even doing it’s all dark and shit?” nick hangs on the door has he peeks outside.

matt gets up to close the door again, “mind your business, nick. move, you’re in the way.”

“hmm, you are so weird.” nick squints his eyes and turns away yelling chris’ name in a blood curdling scream (for absolutely no reason besides the fact that he thought it’d be funny to see chris drunkenly run into the living room).

“hey, you still there?”

“mhm, yes”

“nick and chris just got back from the bar so i’ll have to help them chill out, um, yeah. i wanna hang out again. not even just to fuck if you aren’t cool with that yet, if we can be friends around our friends we can be friends by ourselves.”

friends? you and matt? hm. “that’d be nice, do you wanna just come over like usual?”

“i mean i could but we can do whatever you want, seems like you’ve been home a lot so, you know.” his voice gets more distracted as he speaks

“okay, i’ll let you know. good night.”

“sounds good, sweetheart.”

౨ৎ

MATT - 6:30 PM

Are you done yet?

Y/N - 6:52 PM

yes i’m coming now

-

“i’m sorry again for keeping you so late y/n, you really didn’t have to stay and help me close!” your coworker, angela, beams as she follows you out of the back door with a trash bag.

“don’t worry about it,” you smile to her as you walk with her to the large dumpster on the side of the building.

she throws a bag the size of her torso into the bin with a mumble of ‘ew’ before turning to you, “don’t say that! i know you have that date thing tonight, i don’t want you to be late.”

“i told you it’s not a date! we’re hanging out as friends.”

she rolls her eyes while putting her travel sized hand sanitizer back into her purse, “y/n don’t start with that…it’s totally a date from what you’ve told me.”

you both continue to walk towards the back parking lot,“trust me, he’s made it clear he’s not that kind of guy.”

“then why waste your time?”

right when you go to defend yourself you hear a car door shut, drawing your attention to the man of the hour, who’s locking the doors of his sleek black suv as his jaw works a minty piece of gum.

his black tee exposes his tattoos and his jean shorts are held up with his favorite black belt. you can see his light eyes are squinted due to the sun’s undying brightness from where you stand.

angela turns to you with a full smirk and softly slaps your arm, whispering and giggling, “girl, he’s hot!”

“oh my god!” you have an uncontrollable smile as you look at her, “stop it!” you look over again and this time matt is leaning against his car, ready to catch your eye and send you a wave of his fingers with his eyebrows raised.

you wave back then turn away once more, “‘kay i should probably go but i’ll see you wednesday, right?” you lean in for a hug.

“yes i’ll be here,” she smiles into the embrace as you kiss into the air to the side of her head, “you’ll have to give me all the deets!”

“mhm,” you hum as you both part ways, “bye ang!”

you approach matt without any rush and he takes the time to gaze over your complexion (far more radiant than the last time he’d seen you) and the way your mini jean skirt compliments the blushed red top you’re wearing. “hi sunny,” he grins and reaches a hand out to bring you into a hug, only for you to set the handle of your small purse in it. he kisses his teeth playfully, “it’s still like that, huh?”

“like what?” you condescendingly look up at him.

“alright, girl,” he dismisses, “where are we goin?“

“it’s a surprise for a reason matt!”

“okay… then i’m assuming you’ll drive?”

“not exactly..” you spin on your heel and walk away from him as a hint to follow you.

he wraps an arm around your shoulder as the two of you walk down the busy sidewalk, he gives a couple of glances down at your phone while also navigating the two of you. “metro?” he reads aloud.

“mhm,” you reply and smile to yourself while adding the tickets to your apple wallet.

“wow, you really planned this shit out.”

“i’ve never half-assed something in my life,” you say as you both stop at a cross walk.

“never? you have a brother, right?” he asks and you nod, “i’m sure he’d be able to come up with something.”

“probably,” you shrug and grab his wrist when the walking sign lights. “we’re gonna make it just in time, the bus comes at 7:10.”

౨ৎ

the seating on the bus is comfortably squished; you sit in the window seat and matt next to you, moving his limbs inward to give room to those walking in the isle.

you reapply a faded shade of red, black cherry to your lips while using your phone camera. matt watches with his lips pursed in awe. “that shade looks nice on you,” he says softly.

you’re already feeling giddy internally and he’s forcing you to blow your unbothered cover at this point, “thank you,” you smile and turn to see him already close to your face, looking at your eyes then lips. you just have to close the space by giving him a small kiss, mumbling, “it looks good on you too, see,” you move your phone so that he can see his lips outlined with the stain of you.

he laughs and pouts his lips while checking himself out in your camera, making the risky move to take a photo of himself, before giving your cheek a kiss.

౨ৎ

“jesus, for forty fucking minutes you better have brought me to an all inclusive resort!” matt complains while dramatically stretching his back.

the sun was now peeking down and the flashing lights of santa monica pier were extra enticing. “stop, we’re gonna have so much fun! look!” you point at the energetic strip with a childish grin.

“alright, let’s go then,” he tilts his head towards the fair.

౨ৎ

“definitely could have gone without that last ride- wayyy too many dips,” matt holds his stomach dramatically.

“i could tell, you were screamin’ like crazy,” you smirk as the two of you stand in the line at one of the many food trucks. two hours into being there and you’ve rode almost all of the rides, it was expected for matt to ask to stop for some sort of food eventually.

“barely.” he rolls his eyes, “what do you want?”

“i’ll have a water and one of those bomb pops,” you tell him.

“that’s not really food, are you gonna be good with that for right now?” he clarifies.

“yes, matt. thank you,” you smile and matt waves you off as he approaches the tall window to order.

“hey, what’s up man? i’ll just have a water, one of those fourth of july a bomb pops, medium fry and a modelo in a can please,” he flashes a smile and pays quickly.

you thank him and the cashier as you take hold of the items you asked for. “can we go walk on the beach?” you ask him.

“yeah, it’ll be dark as shit, but yeah,” he responds lightly and shoves a few fries into his mouth.

౨ৎ

“when i was younger my mom would bring me and my brother to the pier every summer since i was seven maybe?” the waves crash softly in the background as matt lays between your legs, despite the scratchy denim of your skirt. “when i was eleven my brother would want to go off with his friends in high school and my mom wasn’t a fan of the rides, so she would bring me to walk on the beach with her instead.” you recall out loud after matt had asked what made you want to come here today.

“mmm, reminds me of east coast beaches when i was a kid. we’d make a whole day out of it and pack up my mom’s minivan.” you stretch his scalp hypnotically, “just being rowdy and annoying as hell on the ride there and sleeping on the way back. being a kid is, like, the best and we never realize it when we’re there.”

“isn’t it kind of sweet that we don’t? kids don’t even understand the concept of missing childhood or being nostalgic until they’re older. if eight year old me were constantly dwelling on what’s passed i know she’d go insane. i mean, even now, everyone is always chasing previous feelings and never fully in tune with the one present.” you look out at the waves that softly build up and crash repeatedly.

matt licks his lips and opens his eyes, sitting up from your lap, “holy shit, sunny,” he kisses you and pulls away to laugh, “you just made me sound like a dumbass.”

he keeps a hold of your face, “matt you’re not dumb, everyone is nostalgic for something,” you kiss him again to seal your words.

matt pulls away and you stands up and begin to remove your shirt leaving you in a lacy bra, “come on,” you tilt your head and matt immediately stands up to cover you.

“the fuck do you mean, ‘come on’?” he starts to laugh while looking around for anyone around.

you roll your eyes at his protection and unbutton your skirt, “take a dip with me.”

“no?! y/n, that water is freezing...”

you pull down your pants to reveal a small pair of matching lacy panties that matt can barely see in the dark but he just knows would send him over the edge.

“matttt,” you pout and bring his hands to your exposed ass, lifting his chin to capture his lips in your own, “please?” you look up at him.

he pinched his eyes shut, “baby, put your clothes back on…”

“alright be lame,” you take his hands off of you and run into the empty beach with a freeing laugh.

matt stands there, not wanting to yell and draw attention to you both, but also not wanting to freeze to death.

“matt! the water’s not even that cold, come here!” you exclaim, wading in the shallow water.

“no, i’ll just wait here until you’re done cooling off…”

“matt, please! what if i-” you pretend to fall backwards and start to fake a drowning scene that has him undressing to his boxers quickly.

he ignores the rush in his blood from the surprise of the water’s temperature in favor of getting you out of there. he calls your name over and over, the pitch black look of the ocean doing absolutely nothing to help.

he’s pretty freaked out when you come back up and jump on his back yelling, “you saved me! you saved me!” with a cackle.

matt immediately groans and slaps the water, “fuck you, why would you ever do some shit like that?!”

you giggle and he throws you off his back easily, turning around to be face to face with you as you wipe your eyes, “oh my god matt, my mascara’s gonna run!”

“maybe we should think of these things before running into the ocean?”

you stop wiping underneath your eyes to forcefully push him under the water, giggling at the sound of the crash and his “don’t-!” right before.

“no more,” he spits out water and scolds you when he comes back up, inching closer to you and holding you by your hips as you wrap your legs around his waist.

“okay,” you agree and go to kiss his wet face just as he quickly unhooks you and throws you back under.

“matt!” you squeal as you resurface to hear him laughing, “dude, i’m gonna kill you.”

“truce, truce, truce!” he repeats and backs away from you.

“yeah, you better run,” you threaten.

౨ৎ

“your eyelashes are like sooo long when they’re wet,” you compliment as you stare at matt under the moon’s light.

he pulls you closer him to stop his mouth from chattering due to the cold, “i’ll give you my lash routine,” he jokes.

“i realized something when we got off the phone the other day,” you bring up, as your eyes run over each of his facial features.

“tell me,” he rolls his icy lips into his mouth.

“i never said sorry for being nasty to you on your birthday.”

matt’s eyes squint, “it’s fine, i’m not hung up on that shit. we said we’re good, right?”

“yes, but-”

“alright then,” he shrugs and squeezes your ass in reassurance.

a smile graces your face and and you let your head fall to his shoulder, whispering, “matt…i’m cold now.”

“i’ve been waiting for you to say that, oh my god!”

౨ৎ

you both suffer as you put your clothes back on over your wet skin. you’re both chattering messes and simply cannot stop laughing about it as you make your way back to the boardwalk’s strip of raging bright lights.

you don’t get far before you’re begging matt to win you an oversized faux fur leopard print coat, “it’s just what i need, please!”

and he’s spent almost two twenties replaying this stupid game over and over again. you’re a pretty good cheerleader though.

“come on matt, you got it this time! no pressure! it’s only like i’m dying of hypothermia!” he deadpans as he looks over to you, “what?”

it was a simple game of ring toss- that was most definitely rigged, but besides you reminding him this and saying you didn’t need the coat that much, the stand runner’s comments doubting matt was enough to fuel him to continue playing until he wins.

and somehow he tosses the perfect ring, watching it land and swivel around the bottle in victory. you both outwardly celebrate with screams and a very public kiss, that the two of you just can’t stop sharing today.

“congratulations,” the employee boredly says.

“thank you sir, thank you.” matt then obnoxiously turns around and yells out a speech to the random passersby “i wanna thank my mother, my grandmother, brothers, dog, and you people for giving me this opportunity to win something so grand for my sweet sunshine!” you stop giggling to give a royal wave to the many people judging the two of you, “thank you santa monica!” he blows a kiss and you both spin around to claim your prize.

“you two are like cartoon characters,” the stand runner says. and as soon as you start to grin at him he corrects, “that wasn’t a compliment.”

“whatever man, just give the pretty girl the fucking coat,” matt blinks at him. as the man walks away to grab the fluff off of the rack a few people stop by the table and matt warns them, “if i were you i’d keep walkin’, this guy’s a first-class hater.”

you drag matt by his arm back over to you, “did you take your socially-overbearing pills today?!”

“i have no clue, i think im too cold for my brain to process embarrassment anymore.”

“here’s that coat,” the man hands you it with a shake of his head.

“thank you, sir!” you exclaim and immediately fit your arms from the sleeves, “this is everything i’ve ever wanted!” you say as your jaw goes slack.

“you look good,” matt agrees, “you also look warm, so now i’m jealous.”

“let’s go get you something warm, baby.”

౨ৎ

after a trip to a random gift shop for a hoodie, matt whined about needing real food so bad.

so the two of you stand at the hostess stand in a small mexican restaurant on the strip.

“for two?”

“yes, thank you.”

“i’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick, okay?” matt speaks close to your ear and you simply nod and watch him walk off.

you wait a few moments before the hostess offers to take you to your table, “did you want to go sit now or wait for your boyfriend?” she asks kindly.

you try not to make it so apparent that you enjoy the idea of you being matt’s girlfriend, “yeah, i can sit now, he’ll find me.”

౨ৎ

“i’ll have the chicken burrito please with extra rice,” matt orders as he sits across from you.

“and i’ll have the four birria tacos please,” you hand her the menu kindly.

you both are bundled up ridiculously with frizzy hair and barely-dry clothes, you’re surprised anyone agreed to serve you.

“alright, that should be out shortly!”

when she walks away matt asks, “why didn’t you get a drink? i’m just curious.”

“i swore off drinking until my birthday,” you shrug and fall back into the plush of the booth.

“mm, not smoking either?” he sips his water.

“i mean i haven’t smoked since early august but no i didn’t purposely stop.”

matt nods, “well if you were to drink, what are you ordering? i usually go for a corona but i wanna try something different.”

“oh strawberry margarita, a hundred percent. hits everytime.”

“i’ve never had a margarita so i’ll try it.”

your jaw drops, “hell yeah you’re gonna try it, i can’t believe you!”

“what can i say?” matt shrugs.

౨ৎ

matt plays with the toothpick in his mouth as you both sit in your spots for the bus ride home. he got to enjoy his first margarita and you took multiple pictures to document it, he bought you churros to go, and now you both are the most tired you’ve been in a while.

you quietly respond to texts that andrea sent you hours ago, asking what you’re doing and if you’ll be home soon, while matt lays his head on your shoulder sleepily.

eventually you shut your phone off and calmly rest your head against the chilled window for the rest of the ride.

•

[em-harlsnow]

the ages of shameless characters does nothing but drive me crazy, so I'm activating some detective skills to figure them out throughout the seasons. also - im ignoring the years or times that the seasons came out, just going by what the show says.

First off: Mickey - bday is 10 August 1994

Season 1: 16, because...

he's not in it much, he doesn't speak much, but we know two things - he's a teenager and he's under 18 since he goes to juvie. He's in juvie for some part of three seasons, so I think it's safe to put him at 16.

Season 2: 16 for a bit, then 17, because....

it's now summer, and Mickey comes out of juvie. I think he turns 17 that summer, because when he goes back in, people are wearing coats more so I assume it's getting colder, so it's past august.

Season 3: 17 for half, 18 for the other half, because...

it's summer at the start, so Mickey's been in juvie for like 6/7 months. he's still 17, because he didn't go to prison at any point. by the time he marries Svetlana, I think he's 18. I don't know how old you have to be to get married in Illinois, but I'll say 18 because American laws confuse me more than anything else. either way, again, people are wearing warmer clothes around the time he marries her, so he must be 18.

Season 4: 18, because...

it's winter, the whole way through. There's no way it's the next year, since Ian is still underage according to Mickey (altho there's a possibility he meant under the drinking age of 21, but I don't think so). So Ian's been gone for a few months, maybe like 5 since it could be Jan/Feb and he must have left Autumn time. Therefore, Mickey's 18. The whole time. Summer hasn't come, so his birthday hasn't passed.

Season 5: 19, because....

it's summer for the first part. Late summer, since the last half is in wintery time based on everyone's coats. We can assume that Mickey has his birthday either between season 4 and 5 or right at the beginning of season 5. So maybe he's 18 for like 5 seconds. But for the majority and the end, he must be 19.

Season 6: 19/20, because...

he's only in it for one scene (diabolical). I can't tell what the season is really, because there aren't many coats being worn at the start, and then loads at the end. It seems unreasonable that a whole spring and summer have been skipped, doesn't it? although, maybe it's possible. There are also some days when it seems really hot and some where it looks cold, so I have no idea. I don't know what the weather's like in Chicago, sorry. So he's either 19 or 20 when we see him. Most likely 20. Either way, he went into prison when he was 19, unless the trial was really long and lasted from winter to august, which I doubt.

Season 7: 21 (when he appears), because...

we have two episodes (again, very sad). it starts in the summer based on the t-shirts without jackets everyone wears. by the time ep 10 and 11 hit, it's colder. it's hard to tell at the end, since they're at the border or approaching the border and the further south you go the hotter it gets, and it's very sunny when mickey goes across. If season 6 really is that winter and they skipped the summer (which now makes more sense), it's the following summer, going into autumn. so, august has probably passed by the time we see mickey. so he's 21 now.

Season 8: 21, 22 by the end (even tho we don't see him), because...

no mickey (rude). we can still assume his age based on the seasons and other characters. it's summer again! I'm guessing it's the year after?? since it looked like season 7 was approaching autumn? that also means Ian and Trevor were dating for around a year, and I didn't realise it was so long to be honest. anyway, if it's summer again, at some point throughout mickey turns 22 (alone, in Mexico).

Season 9: 23, because...

one scene with mickey! it's still summer, the same summer as before I think, because there's no way the Gay Jesus thing lasted a full year. it looks like it's a direct continuation from season 8. by the last ep, Ian is wearing a hat and an undershirt under the prison uniform, so it's autumn-y time. so, mickey's either already 23 when we see him, or about to turn 23. by the end, he's definitely 23.

Season 10: 23 at the start, 24 by the end, because...

it's summer when Ian comes out of prison. I'd put it at early summer, since Ian says it's been less than a year of being in prison. so at the start, mickey's still 23. by the wedding, it's 'supposed to snow', so I guess it's full on winter. so august is passed, mickey is 24, and finally had his bday when he's with Ian.

Season 11: 24 at the start, 25 at the end, because...

summer again at the start based on all the t-shirts. early summer, because by ep 10, mickey goes swimming or does something in the pool, because I'm not convinced he can swim, which you aren't gonna do in the autumn/winter, right? by the last ep, there are more coats, and it's their anniversary so it's 'supposed to snow', so it must be winter time. so he's 24 at the start, 25 at the end.

In conclusion, Mickey is way younger than he seems (im not talking about Noel, he looks the age he's meant to be, he just seems older). Also, Gallavich has been together for 9 years.

Let me know if you disagree with any of this, I think I'll do Ian next! I don't know if this was obvious to everyone else and I'm just slow, but this is gonna help me loads when I'm figuring out weather seasons and ages for fics lol.

Shameless needs to deal with its shitty timelines. It was much better at consistency in the earlier seasons.

[you-show-me-love]

Tattoos are often symbolic, but I somehow missed the symbolism of these ones until now. I just now realized that Terry Milkovich has a tattoo above his heart that is hate speech, while Mickey Milkovich got a tattoo above his heart in a pronouncement of love.

Terry got to his son's knuckles early and made it the first thing people saw. Fuck u-up that's what Mickey Milkovich will do, that's what any Milkovich will do, but Terry couldn't get to his core, couldn't put hate there, because Ian Gallagher got there and didn't let go.

I also think it's interesting how after Terry died, we found out about his past with a woman he loved. He had done everything he could to be with her and ultimately killed for her, and she rejected him, leading him to a life of hate and anger. He just gave up on this woman and being with her. (He killed her father, so it's a bit hard to come back from, but still)

Mickey did everything to be with Ian, came out for him, took care of him, and attempted to kill Sammi for what she did to Ian, but he still got broken up with. He could easily have gone the path of his father, of hating Ian, hating everyone, but instead he carved Ian's name into him and asked him to lie, for him, because 8 years was a long time. His thoughts of them together kept him going in prison until he could escape, and when he did he found Ian again. And even then Mickey didn't hate him for not being able to cross the boarder because the love in his heart was stronger than any hate or bitterness, to the point he didn't hesitate to turn himself in to be with Ian once again.

I mean, how fucking beautiful is that? Mickey became the most loving person by being loved. He's not his father, and he'll never be his father, because he never gave up on love like Terry did. At his core Mickey is love.

[swaggerblonde]

Swagger Blonde Let's Plays Land Of Illusion Sega Master System Part 1 St...

[eyeronmaus]

So fantasy, certainly. Fairy tales, yes. Allegory, always. And I think it was particular crystallized in what I suppose is my favorite episode, which is "Once Upon a Time" - a very fairy tale time. And because a little of that was autobiographical, so I suppose I got that out of my system. Whatever you call that, there’s a name for that I suppose, but I got it out. All the three scripts I wrote for The Prisoner, each one was done in about thirty-six hours. "Once Upon a Time" I think I wrote straight down, I don’t think I changed a word of that.

The set was called the Embryo Room for obvious reasons, and it was this head-on clash between two people. It was do or die - one of them had to go.

Our property man [Mickey O’Toole], when he looked at [the script] he said “what idiot wrote this?” Because you see there were four pages with nothing on them, and for all these pages all they were saying was “six, six, six of one, one of six, six over one, one into six, six, six, six, six, six, six, six, six, six of one and a one and a dozen and six, six…” I didn’t have my own name on it - the name I had on it when I sent it down onto the set, because I knew I would be ridiculed, was "Once Upon a Time" by Archibald Schwartz. So Mickey says “this Archibald Schwartz, where did you find this guy??”

There’s a thing about Leo - you’re talking about fairy tales and all that - there’s a bit of an elf in him and a sort of leprechaun thing; and his rhythms are so terrific you can throw out something quite unexpected […] and he will immediately pick it up and come back with a new one of his own and then you build upon that and it becomes a sort of rhythmical duet.

It was eight days shooting and for most of those eight days we were head-to-head-on from 8 o'clock in the morning 'til 6:30 at night with an hour for lunch. So, it was pretty intense. It was psychiatrist couch time sort of thing. Patrick McGoohan [x][x]

[gremlin-girly]

Grem's 20 Characters with 20 Questions for 20 Tropes Challenge

In celebration of 250+ followers (thank you all very much!!), I wanted to do a type of writing challenge. So here is the 20 characters with 20 Questions for 20 tropes Challenge!!

You can really tell this is my first time making something like this - why the hell did i pick such a long title lmao??? I do love a bit of silly fun tbh so here we are

I should also point out that regular postings (like the Green Collection, Sun, sea and sirens AND whatever long fic wins this poll will still be posted regularly!)

How to play:

You have to be 18+ to play :)

Tag me @gremlin-girly and use the tag #grem's 20 questions so I can read, reblog and tag fics onto the masterlist! If I miss a fic, please remind me either by tag in the comments or dm!!

Pick a character (or characters) from the list below, a question and a trope.

You can pick any number of questions and tropes but there must be at least one of each. (E.g. no character + Q2 ; it would need to be character + Q2 + Trope 4 OR however many tropes/questions you wish to use)

Either send in a submission (✨️) or send me a request (🍑) with your question(s) and trope(s). E.g. Caracter(s) + Q__ + Trope ___

The fic(s) you enter/request can be fluff, smut, angst - whatever you want! (As long as they are tagged accordingly and if you want to know what I will NOT include/write you can find them in my blog rules here)

Make sure you tag your work accordingly (trigger warnings, content warnings etc.)

There is no word count limit but any work over 250 words needs a wee "read more" section

I am being silly and saying you can request/submit an unlimited amount (but beware!!! I will be reading/writing these so they may take time to get through them)

Submissions will be open from the 14th of February to the 30th of April 💕

Your work will be added to the Grem's 20Qs Masterlist and shared accordingly 😉

Happy writing! I'm looking forward to see what comes out of this 💕 if you have any questions please message me and thank you all again 🥰

Navigation | 20qs for 20 tropes Masterlist

The 20 Characters

Chris Evans Characters

Ari Levinson

Lloyd Hansen

Jake Jensen

Curtis Everett

Ransom Drysdale

Steve Rogers

Johnny Storm

Andy Barber

Frank Adler

Pete Brenner

Sebastian Stan Characters

Bucky Barnes

Nick Fowler

Chris (Destoyer)

Lance Tucker

Sheriff Lee Bodecker

Blaine (Hot Tub Time Machine)

Mickey Henry

Other Characters

Loki

Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl)

Logan Howlett

The 20 Questions

1. "Do you think sharks get sad about their representation in the media?"

2. "Do you ever shut the fuck up?"

3. "How much have you had to drink?"

4. "Why do you insist on wearing that?"

5. "Why do all of my problems lead back to you?"

6. "When were you going to tell me about this?"

7. "Will you stay as far away from as humanly possible please?"

8. "Welp... looks like this is it. How do you wanna do this?"

9. "Please tell me you remembered to turn off the oven?"

10. "Sweetheart? Sweetheart?"

11. "What time do you call this? "

12. "Do you taste as pretty as you look?"

13. "What are we going to tell the others?"

14. "Are you trying to die?!"

15. "What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck is that?"

16. "How the hell did you get up there?"

17. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

18. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

19. "I love you. You know that right?"

20. "What have you done to me? I used to be scary and now I'm all gooey inside."

20 Tropes

1. Only One Bed

2. Soulmate AU

3. Enemies to lovers

4. Cowboy AU

5. Grumpy x Sunshine

6. Dad/Brother's/a relation's Best Friend

7. Mutual Pining

8. Meetcute

9. Supernatural AU

10. Fake dating

11. Arranged marriage

12. Amnesia

13. Second chance

14. Forced proximity

15. Opposites Attract

16. A/B/O

17. Mafia AU

18. Time Travel

19. Sex Pollen / Fuck or die

20. 5 + 1 things

No pressure tags for some moots who may enjoy ☺️

@steviebbboi @stargazingfangirl18 @mrs-elsie-barnes @brunchable @late-to-the-party-81 @brandycranby @bigtreefest @vunblr @mercurial-chuckles @stellar-solar-flare @ronearoundblindly @misscherry-26 @buck-star @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory