i always wanted to grow tomatoes

let's see. i think the knuckle tats are particularly iconic for mickey bc we meet him with them - we immediately associate them with mickey and know this key thing about him. we get a lot of information about mickey and his world just by seeing them on him... we understand his family dynamic, the life he lives, we see the huge juxtaposition between the words on his hands and how carefully/deftly he can use them! they tell us a lot about who he is, and a lot about who he is not! and as both he story and mickey develop, the knuckle tats and the intentions behind them only get more interesting. the ian galager tattoo (which i have.... so many thoughts about) is kinda similar? we see it at a pivotal moment in the ian/mickey relationship, and while it's showed to us in almost a flippant way, it still says A LOT about mickey - who he is, what he wants, and what he's trying to say. the story is shifting forward with ian as the main perspective, but the tattoo leaves us very painfully understanding mickey's headspace. this makes it that much more special when he's back! seeing ian touch and play with that tattoo is super healing! i think a lot of fic writers pick up on these elements because of the emphasis the show and characters put on them.

the southside tattoo gets less attention (in canon, i think anyways) mostly just because it happens so removed from our experience with mickey's story. he shows up after a long absence with that tattoo firmly in place. it still tells us something (you are right, he's maintaining a connection to home), and it's pretty perfect for him, but we miss a lot of context that the other tattoos give us. the act of getting that tattoo, or living with that tattoo, is not highlighted as much as the others are. it's just kinda there, and we pick up on it as we get to know mickey again. so i think fic writers don't focus on it as much? or they even put different tattoos in its place to serve their story purposes. NOW. that doesn't mean i don't love that tattoo and i wouldn't actually read a million words about it right now...... because i bet ian was also pretty touched by it?

ian knows about the ian galager tattoo of course, and i bet he is bowled over to see it again 😂 i think he gets...... very reacquainted with the galager tattoo with his whole mouth lmao. and the knuckle tats are also familiar. i imagine he is strangely comforted to see them again, especially in a place so intensely unfamiliar.

but he sees the southside tattoo for the first time probably not long after THIS moment:

where he's overwhelmed and emotional and so grateful and happy and probably still kinda scared? he probably sees it and blinks at it, unsure of what it says and maybe feeling a little sad that there's something on mickey's body that ian doesn't know intimately. but like every part of mickey in this moment, it's precious to ian immediately. he probably runs a finger over it, tracing the shape, maybe gives it a little extra attention with his kisses as he moves all over. but i think he probably gets swept away in it all before too long - so he doesn't ask till later. he'll ask eventually, when they are catching up and telling each other everything... maybe not right away. ian has a billion questions about the cartel first. but he asks, and mickey probably tells him what it means, where he got it, how it actually doesn't hurt nearly as bad when you don't stab and infect yourself with a prison needle. he probably attempts nonchalance about the tattoo's sentiment, but i just KNOW ian's dumb bottom lip started quivering when he thought about mickey missing home like that.