“Are you and Mickey gonna get a divorce?” was the first thing out of Liam’s mouth when he came home from school that day. Ian stared at him. “What?”

“I mean you fight a lot. Like a lot. The other night he said he’d divorce you but he didn’t sign a prenup.”

Ian sighed and set down his book. He’d almost forgotten that comment Mickey had made. They’d resolved their argument, had some fantastic make-up sex, and now they were focusing on setting up their business. To be fair they were still bickering constantly, endlessly, but it wasn’t something that bothered Ian too much. At least if he was sick of Mickey here he could leave the room and go hang out somewhere else, unlike prison.

“We’re not getting a divorce,”’Ian said simply.

“You fight all the time, though.”

“Hey, we fight with everyone. Lip fought with Fiona a lot-“

“And she’s gone-“

“Buddy, she still calls us. She’s gone because she needs to live her own life instead of dealing with everyone else-you know what, that was a bad example. Okay look. Me and Lip fight sometimes and we still hang out.”

Liam sighed. “Not as bad as you and Mickey do. I’m just surprised. After all you went through to get married…”

Ian put out a hand and ruffled his brother’s hair. “Mickey and I aren’t getting a divorce just because we fight a lot. Especially not after everything we’ve been through,” Ian said.

“You sure?” Liam asked.

At that moment, Mickey conveniently came bounding down the stairs, two at a time, and playfully shook Ian’s shoulders from behind him. Ian laughed and tilted his head back to kiss his husband, cupping his jaw and tugging him close. Mickey smiled contentedly against Ian’s lips and pressed another kiss to his mouth, fingers digging into his shoulder. When they drew apart, Ian grabbed Mickey’s arm and flipped him over onto the sofa. Liam sprung up to avoid being crushed by Mickey and watched the two of them wrestle it out on the sofa, till Ian managed to secure his husband’s wrists, pinning him to the sofa.

“What do you think, Liam?” Ian panted, not taking his eyes from Mickey.

“What’s he think bout what?” Mickey asked. Ian grinned and leaned down to kiss the tip of Mickey’s nose. Mickey scrunched his face in a front of indignation but he smiled nonetheless.

“Thinks we’re gonna get a divorce cause we fight all the time.”

“Not all the time,” Mickey said. He turned his head to glance at Liam. Liam thought he looked quite comical, pinned underneath Ian, but he seemed happy enough.

“Besides, it was worse in prison,” shrugged Ian. Mickey flexed his wrist in a bid to get free and Ian climbed up off him. He pulled Mickey upright and into his arms and pressed a hard kiss to the side of his head.

“‘Chu worrying bout us for anyway?” Mickey asked, settling back against Ian. He laced his fingers with Ian’s over his own chest, his head fitting back against Ian’s shoulder.

“I’m not,” Liam said. “Just wondering. Divorce rates increased between newlyweds since the pandemic. It’s not unreasonable to think you guys might divorce too.”

Ian chuckled. “Bet those couples have nothin on us,” he said. “Bet they weren’t together for ten years beforehand.”

“Or survived fuck-knows how many breakups. You know what, kid, if your brother ever divorced me, he’d come running back to me like three days later.”

Ian opened his mouth to say something, and the closed it like a goldfish. Mickey laughed. “Gallagher, you came for me with my greasy ass hair when I hadn’t showered in a week. You came for me when I was wearing a beanie lookin like a homeless person and you folded in like three seconds flat. All I’m saying is…you find me irresistible.”

Ian mumbled a sullen “Do not,” but he cracked a smile anyway.

the term toxic is thrown around without knowing the actual meaning to it. the archetypical toxic relationship of shameless is monica and frank. they do not want to help or heal each other - literally the opposite of mickey and ian. using the examples of their relationship being toxic in s1-3 like they aren’t talking about literal children (15/16/17/18 years old) with one of them being closeted for extremely valid reasons and the other living with an undiagnosed very debilitating mental illness.

“mickey hits ian” like ian doesn’t actually start more fights than mickey

“mickey brings out the worst in ian” like mickey wasn’t the only one that protected ian from predators? i know lip and fiona didn’t. also ian’s descent into psychosis that led in to being arrested is during the time mickey isn’t even present and might have arguably been able to help ian

“they don’t like each other” they are literally best friends. i swear the only times we see ian and mickey fully being teenagers, themselves and having fun, just being full on goofs are when they are together.

and so many of the examples of how bad ian is for mickey are due to things mickey can’t control? terry, homophobia, ian’s mental illness, etc

ian helped mickey see he was worth more than being terry milkovich’s criminal son

mickey helped ian see he wasn’t just ian gallagher, the mentally ill forgotten middle child

Basically everything you said.

It's impossible for them to bring out the worst in each other when they canonically are miserable or unstable without each other.

They are often at their worst because they are products of their upbringings and environments. The same as any other characters in the show.

But what I like about Ian and Mickey, is that (ironically) they are the best communicators in terms of canon relationships lmfao (with the exception of Kev and Vee). Which just shows you what a low bar it is lmfao.

All Jimmy did was lie to Fiona. Fiona often lied about her life to potential partners. Ford lied to Fiona. Lip played Mandy and Karen, used Mandy for sex and didn't respect Karen's boundaries. Debbie lied about contraception. Lip lied to or withheld information from Tami regarding his sobriety and whereabouts.

And these were all straight couples who did not have anything external keeping them apart. They had no abusive parents trying to stop them being together. They had no internalised homophobia to overcome. They didn't have to hide due to the prejudiced nature of their neighborhood.

Mickey literally said to Ian "I'm not lying to you." Ian knew where Mickey was and what Mickey was doing practically at all times when their relationship was "on". They hid from the world, but not each other.

When Mickey first hit Ian it was because he was drunk and in fight or flight, didn't know what to do, knew he and Ians lives were at risk if they were seen together again. He tried to force Ian away. Ian goaded him into doing it. Mickey tried to walk away multiple times. Ian didn't let him.

The next time they got physical Ian started it. Ian just clocked Mickey right in the face for caring about him because Ian didn't like feeling babied by the concern. And we know that Ian wasn't in a stable frame of mind, but neither was Mickey in season 3.

But people seem willing to excuse Ian but not Mickey?

Yeah Mickey punched Ian for leaving him at the alter after convincing him he wanted to be with him forever. Ian headbutted Mickey in the alibi for calling him a bitch. Which is more understandable?

Now I'm not gonna pretend theyre a perfect or healthy relationship. But none of the characters or dynamics on the show are. Ian and Mickey are the happiest and healthiest and most stable relationship that any of the Gallaghers had. They have fun together. They know each other in ways no one else does. They encourage each other, want the best for each other, they DO NOT LIE to each other.

Carl was up early. The house was quiet-too quiet, meaning that no one was up yet. No sounds of early morning sex or bickering from Ian and Mickey, no Franny giggling or Fred crying. It was quiet.

He claimed the first shower, and headed downstairs, where his peaceful morning was disturbed.

He could hear Ian’s voice downstairs, quiet and even. Maybe he’d catch his brother alone for once.

No such joy.

Mickey was with him, because of fucking course he was. He was pouring Ian coffee while Ian slathered butter on toast. They were talking quietly, heads together, just calm and content, steady, dressed in their camo uniforms already.

Mickey took a sip of Ian’s coffee and Ian rolled his eyes affectionately and poured himself another cup. Carl debated whether he should go down before they started either bickering or making out or whether he should go back upstairs and leave them to it, but his stomach growled. Loudly.

Ian turned away from Mickey and caught sight of him, offering him a smile. “Morning,” he said. “You coming down or just have an attachment to the staircase?”

Carl rolled his eyes as he stepped into the kitchen. “Just didn’t want to walk into the middle of whatever you two are about to get into,” Carl shrugged as Ian gave him a one-armed hug and ruffled his hair.

“Who says we’re getting into anything, cop?” Mickey asked, eyebrows raised.

“You’re always either fighting or making out,” shrugged Carl. Mickey turned to Ian and smirked.

“Oh yeah,” Ian chuckled, looking pleased with himself. “I guess we are.”

Carl rounded them for his own cup of coffee as Ian leaned over to kiss Mickey on the cheek, hand coming up to cup Mickey’s head. Mickey chuckled and leaned into Ian’s touch. Ian, sensing his husband was relaxing against him, took it as the opportunity to plant another kiss to his cheek, and then one to his mouth. Carl retched.

“Gross,” he shuddered. Ian giggled and gave Mickey another obnoxiously loud kiss.

“If you two are gonna start fucking, I’m outta here,” Carl said.

“Don’t have time for that, cop,” Mickey said, checking his watch.

“I mean we could,” Ian murmured in his ear suggestively and not at all subtly.

“We could, but then we’d hit the early morning traffic and suddenly you’re getting real bitchy,” Mickey said matter of factly, sliding the plate of toast that his husband had abandoned in favour of kissing him towards Ian. “Now eat your Godamn breakfast.”

“Rather eat you,” Ian grumbled, biting into his toast nevertheless. Carl kicked him. “You guys have company.”

“Ay, no one said you had to be here, bitch,” Mickey said playfully. He bit into his own breakfast. “Could just disappear into the basement or some shit, leave us to it,” he added, spraying crumbs everywhere. Carl waited for Ian’s repercussion-Lord knows Ian had inherited Fiona’s ideas about Godamn table manners and tidiness and how she wasn’t raising a pack of animals, but Ian just smiled dopily at his partner and nuzzled into Mickey’s neck. Jesus Christ, marriage had turned his big brother soft. Granted, Ian had always been a bit dreamy, but there was a different between dreamy and just plain dopey, which is what he seemed to turn to whenever his husband was involved. Less so recently, with them bickering all the time, but Carl wasn’t sure whether to be relieved and pleased or disgusted at the way they were reverting back to being clingy and soft the way they were when they first got out of prison.

“Gross,” Carl decided, neglecting his breakfast for fear he’d vomit. Mickey playfully cuffed his head. “Don’t you have work today, cop?” he teased.

Carl nodded glumly. “‘Not like I like it. Leesie’s too harsh. Like way too harsh.”

“That’s what the police are for,” Mickey shrugged. “You and your brother-too soft for your own good. Dunno how you’ve not been eaten alive in this neighbourhood.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Don’t you have work too? Delivering weed?”

Mickey checked his watch and playfully patted Ian’s head. “Aight, sniffer, we gotta go.”

“He’s sniffing you?” Carl exclaimed. “Jesus Christ, I thought he was kidding when he said he liked how you smell!”

Mickey laughed. “It’s not as bad as when he sniffed me when I had greasy hair and hadn’t showered in a week.”

Ian’s head popped up from where it had still been buried in the crook of his partner’s neck. “HEY! I thought you were asleep!”

“I was asleep until some gigantic-ass ginger with a boyfriend was sniffing the fuck outta my neck.”

“What, when you broke out of prison?” Carl asked, not even sure he wanted to know. Mickey gave him a satsified smirk. “Yep-“

Ian clamped a hand over Mickey’s mouth, letting out a yelp of pain when Mickey bit it and smacked his head in return. Carl snickered.

“Shut the fuck up!” they both said, and left, playfully bickering about how quickly Ian folded. But Carl saw Ian sling his arm round Mickey’s shoulders and kiss the side of his head as they walked out the door anyway.

An adult gives you unsolicited advice that you either don't understand or have already tried many times.

What should you do?

If you don't respond, you get punished for ignoring.

If you respond and continue to show frustration, you get punished for raising your voice.

So you know that you must respond and you must fully calm down before you do. You also must phrase it perfectly, making sure it's accurate and has nothing that can be misinterpreted or taken as disrespect. You have to make sure you explain how inaccurate they are while being absolutely certain that you don't make them feel bad. And since you're already being misunderstood as shown by the advice they gave you, you have to put extra effort into making sure you explain clearly.

Oops, too late. In the process of trying to figure out how to do that long list of steps all at once, you took longer than the allowed 4 seconds, and the adult assumed that you're ignoring them. You're now being punished for ignoring them.

And you can't defend yourself against the punishment, because anything you say can be interpreted as "arguing". Since you were already struggling to keep up before, and you're now forced to think even faster, there's nothing you can possibly say to stop this adult from punishing you, and anything you say could just make it worse. So you just accept the punishment.

It’s only really by season four that Mickey fully accepts Ian’s hold. Manhandling, letting Ian hold him as they kissed and holding onto him, sleeping with a hand on Ian’s arm, sleeping in Ian’s bed, accepting Ian’s comfort after he came out….with the exception of the 3x11 kiss and the way Mickey actually clung to Ian, or the dugouts moment when he kept his hand over Ian’s when they shotgunned the beer, Mickey has been consistently averse to being touched by Ian up till season four.

And as for anyone else, he winced when Svetlana kissed his cheek-he didn’t look angry or upset or hurt, just mildly frustrated, like he didn’t like it but he resigned himself to it because it was genuine affection. He doesn’t really touch his brothers. He does hug Mandy once, and it’s very, very sweet, the way he holds her. He allows her to briefly touch his shoulder, shares his cigarettes with her, I would probably assume that they have moments of physical affection scattered around, but again considering the level of shit they’ve been through and the fact that Milkoviches don’t show affection, it probably would have been minimal.

As the seasons go on, Mickey remains averse to being touched by people who aren’t Ian for the most part. He side eyes Damon when he touches Mickey’s shoulder. He stares at Larry when he does the same. He refuses Debbie’s kiss (“why the fuck are you touching me right now?”) despite being close to her, which I think was likely because he knew it was a) fake and b) too fucking early (again see his acceptance of Svetlana’s kiss versus his refusal of Debbie’s. Svetlana’s was of genuine affection and he just kind of shrugged it off and he was fully awake by that point, Debbie’s must have felt too much like an ambush first thing in the morning especially with the whole being over nice and house thing because Ian refused it too).

However, he does allow for Carl’s handshake, he does put his arm around Carl and Liam on the night of the block party, he lets Tami give him a hug when he gets married. He’s much less averse when he’s happy and/or a little drunk.

Anon you literally hit the nail on the coffin, all of this is exact. To a T. Karen’s story is so easy to brush off and not take seriously, because that’s how the show portrays it, but when you lay it out like this it’s so much more to take in and digest. Karen was literally raped out of her coma!! It’s so shocking to me when people just love Sheila and then hate Karen. It’s good representation that as long as you act cheerful people will brush off whatever you’re doing. May that be neglecting your daughter or fucking her predator.

Sheila having the absolute nerve to say Karen raped frank knowing she did the exact same thing will never just infuriate me beyond belief, it’s the same way Sheila fans see Karen. Karen was never mean and cruel to her mother, Sheila was mean and cruel to her.

mickey (17:54 PM): yo, asshole.

mickey (17:54 PM): where the fuck are you?