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"Dad, how did you meet daddy?"
Mickey tensed when he heard his daughter's innocent question. He put the knife he was holding in his hands next to his cutting board and turned his attention to Laura sitting across the kitchen counter.
They had first met her when they accompanied Franny to the park where Laura and all the other children from the orphanage were playing. Ian had had what he still called love at first sight for her, and Mickey had been no less overwhelmed by his meeting with the little girl.
She was thin, almost skinny, and seemed barely able to stand up, but still had a big laughing smile on her face. Her beautiful blue eyes were framed by freckles, and her crazy hair looked like it was ready to slip out of the rubber band that held it back at any moment.
At first, they had both claimed that this interest would pass quickly, but they had soon realized how wrong they were.
Even though they were already struggling to juggle their obligations with their secure transportation company, their new apartment, and their chaotic relationship with the rest of the Gallaghers, the little girl's existence had become important to them. Very important.
Several times a day, Ian would let himself imagine where she might be right now and what she was doing all day.
Mickey, on the other hand, had managed to keep the image of this little girl out of his thoughts during the day, but there was nothing he could do about his nights. He had caught himself dreaming about her and what the parents who would adopt her would be like, which turned out to be a little worse every night.
Barely a week later, they had started the adoption process.
They were far from ready for a child, and far from ideal parents. Only Franny and Liam had been on their side after learning of their intention.
Succeeding in adopting her despite their criminal records had been a challenge in itself. Mickey had done his best to support Ian and make sure he was ready in case of refusal.
Then finally, their request had been accepted. At first overjoyed, Mickey had then quickly become worried about Ian and the repercussions this news would have on him, before being totally reassured by his husband. Just as aware of the danger that violent emotions like this one could bring, and determined to do everything to make things go as well as possible, Ian had taken the lead, multiplying the appointments with his shrink and following his treatment by the book.
Laura proved to be even more lovable afterwards, and she quickly won over the entire Gallagher family.
The years had passed, the little girl had grown, but hadn't lost the big smile she had the first time Mickey and Ian had met her.
All had not been rosy, and they had fought more than once over important matters, but also over trivial matters, before always reconciling.
Laura loved both of her fathers as much as they loved her.
As he watched her grow up, Mickey realized that he was going to have to go through discussions that he would have liked more than anything to avoid. His first period, love, boys or girls... Protection during sex.
They had already been confronted with the famous question "how do you make babies?", and had managed to get out of it not without damage. Especially since this question had inevitably led to the question of her own birth and the absence of a mother.
But if there was one question that Mickey had not thought of and that was just as delicate, it was that one.
He turned his gaze to Ian, who was sitting nearby, looking for some form of support, but had to come to the conclusion that his husband was as lost as he was.
"Why do you ask that question?" Mickey asked, hoping to buy time, or better yet, distract his daughter enough to make her forget her questioning.
“Today Meg told us how her parents met. It was super romantic!"
Mickey did his best not to roll his eyes. He knew Meg, and above all, he knew her parents and he strongly doubted that their first meeting had gone the way their daughter thought it would. As if to confirm his doubts, his daughter added.
"They were both on a boat and her mother's hat flew off and it was her father who caught it and brought it back to her..."
Unable to remain impassive in the face of such a big lie, Ian chuckled, then did his best to hide his reaction behind an imaginary cough.
"Super romantic indeed." Said Mickey, trying to sound as convinced as possible.
"And you?"
Now aware that he could not make his daughter forget this question, Mickey looked for the best, or rather the least worst, answer.
He wasn't really sold on the idea of telling her that he had first gone after Ian threatening him with death for what he had supposedly done to Mandy.
And he didn't want to tell her about Kash and the multiple beatings he'd given him, prompting Ian to enter his room with a crowbar in his hand.
“It was in school… We weren't in the same class, but we both ended up attending an optional program and we were sitting next to each other.”
To be completely honest with his daughter, Mickey surely should have made it clear that this optional program was detention, but he didn't see how that information was relevant. Especially since he couldn't even remember after so many years the reasons that had got him this detention.
“Your father didn't have his material with him, so he asked me for a pen.”
"And you gave one to him?" The little girl asked as this was the biggest suspense possible.
"Of course." Mickey lied, smiling.
"And you still have it?!?"
Mickey could see his daughter's eyes twinkle at the idea. The temptation to lie to her again was big, but he didn't want to alter the reality any further, so decided to be honest with her.
"If at the time I had known that Ian would be my husband, I would have..."
His answer seemed to be enough for Laura who put on a big smile and jumped out of her chair to run for the stairs.
“Meg and the others are going to be super jealous when I tell them!”
Mickey let out a small laugh.
“I didn't remember it happened like that…” Ian said in a low voice as he stood up to join Mickey.
"Sometimes you have to embellish reality a little bit."
Mickey had not loaned Ian a pen that day. Not because he didn't want to, but because the one he had in his hand at the time was the only one he had. A stolen pen, as well as the rest of the few school items in his possession.
Terry Milkovich was not the kind of man to worry about his children's school supplies, forcing them to be inventive.
As soon as Laura came into their lives, Mickey and Ian had decided not to talk with her about Terry Milkovich and everything he had done to them. And he wouldn't break that promise now. Besides, he had never admitted to Ian that he had needed to steal every one of his pens and notebooks.
And looking back on it now, that's probably why he got detention that day.
“When I think of our first meeting, it's another moment that comes to mind.” Ian asserted, now pressed against his husband.
Mickey blushed instantly as he thought back to his first time with Ian.
"I'm not going to tell her about something like that."
Understanding easily what his husband was talking about, Ian hastened to correct him.
“I was thinking about your outstanding performance in the little league baseball team.”
"Not a good idea either." Mickey said, very reluctant to let his daughter know about the feats Ian was talking about.
“I didn't know you remembered that pen story…”
“An alien face like yours is not so easily forgotten.” Mickey said without any meanness in his voice.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Ian asked, gently forcing Mickey to turn around to face him.
He placed his arms on either side of Mickey, trapping his husband between him and the counter.
Mickey frowned, intrigued and Ian accepted that as a positive response.
“That day I already had a pen but wanted to use it as an excuse to talk to you.”
"I don't know if I should find this romantic, or suicidal."
“I vote for romantic.” Ian replied, his mouth now just inches from Mickey's.
"Romantic then…" Affirmed Mickey while laughing before reducing to nothing this thin space, by placing his lips against those of Ian.