coming up for air

We've devoured each other in corners, swallowed the blood.

I've imagined it with the song "Stay the Night" by Green Day because I was listening to it.

They've been sneaking into each other's beds for a few months now, savoring a freedom that only feels real behind closed doors. Mickey has no idea how to express what he's feeling: something new and terrifying. But one night, sitting on the bed, nervously spinning a pen over a piece of paper, he starts writing down about what Ian told him the day before, right before leaving his house:

"I'm not afraid of the dark, Mickey. If you don't want me to stay over in the same fucking bed where we've been kissing nonstop, then there won't be any more."

And Mickey knows Ian is coming to see him play that day.

What are you feeling? Fuck, so many things. And when he steps up to the microphone and locks his eyes on the green ones, he knows this is all he can say to him right now. In front of a crowd, but it's only for him:

Well, you're so sick and tired of feeling so alone

Well, I don't understand the point if you have to go home

So won't you stay and count the circles 'round my eyes?

And we can watch the stars until the sun begins to rise

I got to know if you're the one that got away

Even though it was never meant to be

Say, you'll stay the night, 'cause we're running out of time

@galladrabbles you, as always, have my gratitude as well as my heart.💜

FESTIVAL

I saw you at the festival,

You stood out from the crowd,

You were taller than almost everyone,

In the parade about being proud,

You waved your little flag,

Then smiled that giant smile,

I wished to kiss your perfect lips,

As I followed you every mile,

I wanted to punch everyone who saw,

That happiness, just for me,

But people flock to your light,

The way you shine is too bright to see,

Then you saw me watching there,

So you pushed your way on through,

You wrapped me up into your arms,

—————————————————————————

Mickey stares at his reflection in the mirror, long and hard. Scrutinizing his face in a way he rarely does, noticing the signs of age that seem to be creeping up on him a little more each day.

Wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, a permanent reminder of how the skin there crinkles when he laughs.

Faint smile lines at the sides of his mouth. Because he smiles a lot.

bonus:

I talk about them all the time. the trick is to find someone you’re comfortable with or someone who’s also not normal about the character.

so listen, we got robbed of some bisexual content in the show with fiona’s exit so me and nosho ( @creepkinginc ) got talking and you know what? bisexual carl. we’re here for it. so we made him a boyfriend. meet ben.

carl brings his first ever actual boyfriend to sunday family dinner and at first the gallaghers are kinda confused because ben looks like a nobody. he has a boring name and a boring look, very average, nothing special about him. carl has had a slew of very interesting women and he’s with this guy? makes zero sense.

until ben opens his mouth. it makes sense then.

they learn he’s a baker and works at a bakery close to the police station and that’s how they met (”cops and dounts, huh?”) but ben had to give his number THREE times before carl got the hint. because why would a guy flirt with him? it took him a minute alright.

but ben also tells them he’s been a park ranger in new mexico where he’s from, a construction worker, for a while he worked with removing snakes and shit from peoples houses, you know, normal ben stuff.

at which the gallaghers tell him the story about carl killing the bald eagle hoping to get a laugh outta the guy

but he looks dissapointed and says he wishes he was there so he could show them how to prepare it properly. which then send him into a story about that time he killed and ate a poisionous snake.

the gallaghers just stare but carl nods and looks like its the most normal thing ever. ben informs them that they have to remember to bury the head should they ever have to do that because you can still step on it and get poisoned.

he then goes on to tell them about other wild animals you can eat. seagulls, snails, bugs, possums. and how to best prepare them.

alright so ian spots his tattoo and asks about it. its a ruler on his forearm and ben just shrugs and tells them he uses it to measure fish he catches sometimes. you never know when you have to measure something. its handy at ikea and when you gotta make sure a hole is deep enough. a hole for what? oh you never know when you need a hole with just the right size.

they keep talking and frank/monica/parents comes up and ben tells them about his survivalist father who dropped him in the woods one time with a swiss army knife and a lighter and he had to find his way back home. by himself. at 12.

(thats also the time he ate the snake. ya boy had to eat)

there’s just this distinct feeling ben could build you a house and do your taxes, but he’s also the typa guy who could tell you the best way to make a body dissapear and how to make a deadly weapon out of a paperclip and a stick. mcgyver style.

eventually it turns into this thing where everybody just waits for him to piggyback of whatever story they tell with a ”that reminds me of that one time…” and they all just KNOW its gonna be something outta the left field. just ben stories.

ian voices his concern about ben being a red flag to mickey but mickey’s like ”firecrotch, you married ME. if we turned out fine im sure ben and carl will be fine too. he’s weird as fuck but i kinda like the dude. good for carl the little pyschopath”

eventually they wanna add him to the gallagher group chat but he doesnt use facebook. or any social media sites. but he does have 17 different apps for hiking trails and apps for identifying plants you can eat or not eat and a compass app and— all the apps but not facebook. sorry.

so yeah, ben looks like he wouldnt make sense with carl but they get it now. he makes total sense with carl.

it's for your own good, it's for the neighborhood