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"Hey, how 'bout this one, Red?" Mickey drawls, holding up a toy truck, turning it over in his hands effortlessly.
Ian shakes his head, squinting at the truck. "I think he's more into dinosaurs."
They'd been scouring the store for Freddy's 5th birthday gift since dawn. Lip had invited the whole family, but hadn't clued them in on Freddy's current obsession, leaving Ian and Mickey to guess.
Ian plucks a blue T-Rex from the shelf. "How 'bout this guy?"
Mickey shrugs, giving it a once-over. "Yeah, looks cool."
Ian hesitates. "But what if he’s more into superheroes? Spiderman? Superman?"
"Ian." Mickey stops him, gently turning Ian to face him. "Let's just go with the T-Rex. Trust me, the kid'll go nuts for it."
Ian sighs, finally nodding. "I just want it to be perfect."
"And it will be." Mickey grins, squeezing Ian's shoulder. "Throw in the Jurassic Park movie, and we're set. Sound good, babe?"
Ian nods again, smiling back at Mickey as they make their way to the register. "Isn't that movie PG-13, though?"
"Eh, kid's gotta learn somehow," Mickey shrugs, flashing a mischievous grin. "Betcha he'll want to watch it with his cool uncles, huh?"
Ian chuckles, shaking his head. "Yeah, we'll just let Lip deal with the fallout."
Mickey laughs, throwing an arm around Ian's shoulder. They pay for the toy, hastily wrapping it at a makeshift paper station near the register, and then head over to the movie rental shop before catching the L to the South Side.
"Uncle Mickey, Uncle Ian!" Franny yells, bouncing down the stairs to reach them. She's growing up fast, 8 years old now.
Mickey smiles wide, bending down to hug her tightly. "Hey Fran! You havin’ a good time?"
Franny giggles and then moves over to Ian, wrapping her arms around his mid-section. "Freddy's getting ready for the cake!" she informs them excitedly before turning on her heel and darting back inside.
Inside the Gallagher house, it's the usual whirlwind of noise and warmth. Lip's in the kitchen, trying to sort out birthday treats while debating something urgent and work-related with Debbie. Carl's lounging on the couch, half into a video game, and Liam's setting the table, careful not to spill anything. V and Kev are deep in conversation with Tami, their laughter filling the air.
Fiona emerges from the hallway, a tired but welcoming smile lighting up her face as she spots Ian and Mickey.
"You guys made it!" Fiona beams, giving them quick hugs. "Freddy's been counting down the minutes till his cool uncles show up."
Mickey chuckles, lifting the wrapped T-Rex and movie. "We come bearing gifts. Hope we're not too late to crash the party."
Fiona laughs, waving off their concerns. "Never too late around here.”
Freddy runs from the kitchen to them, dressed in a blue shirt and tan shorts.
"Hey, birthday boy!" Ian grins, bending down to give high fives, which Freddy enthusiastically slaps, making Ian wince playfully. "Oww!" Ian pretends, causing the boy to giggle.
Mickey chuckles, ruffling Freddy's hair. "Got something for ya, kiddo," he says, handing over the presents. Freddy's face lights up with a big grin as he takes them and dashes back into the kitchen to show his Dad.
"Hey, douchebags, come take a seat," Lip calls out with a grin.
They join the rest of the family, diving into all the birthday shenanigans. They sing "Happy Birthday," cheer as Freddy blows out the candles, and dig into the cheap but delicious grocery store cake.
Then, it's time for presents. Freddy eagerly tears into the colorful wrapping paper, his eyes widening with each reveal. He gets a set of action figures from Debbie, a cool toy car from Carl, and a board game from Liam. Finally, he reaches for the gift from Ian and Mickey.
Freddy unwraps the T-Rex with wide eyes, letting out an excited gasp. "A T-Rex!" he exclaims, holding it up for everyone to see. “Rawrrr!”
"And that's not all," Ian adds, handing over the Jurassic Park movie.
Freddy's grin stretches ear to ear. "Wow, a real dinosaur!" he shouts, running over to give them both big hugs.
"Whoa, whoa, hey, that's a PG-13 movie, he can't watch that!" Lip exclaims, eyeing the DVD in Freddy's hands.
"Oh, come on, Lip. He can watch it with us," Mickey retorts, rolling his eyes.
Ian chimes in with a grin, "Yeah, we'll cover his eyes during the scary parts."
Lip sighs, shaking his head with a reluctant smile. "Fine, but if he has nightmares, it's on you guys."
"Ehh, he'll be fine," Mickey says with a dismissive wave.
The night carries on, and Freddy falls asleep during the Jurassic Park movie on the couch between Mickey and Ian with the action figures he'd got in his lap. As the credits roll, Lip and Tami gently carry him to his bed and Mickey and Ian say their good-byes, heading home afterward.
"You think he was happy?" Ian asks as they enter their apartment, kicking off his shoes.
"You kidding?" Mickey replies, a grin spreading across his face. "The kid was over the moon. Did you see his face when he opened that T-Rex?"
Ian chuckles, leaning against the wall, "Yeah, guess you're right."
"You're a bad-ass uncle, Red," Mickey says, wrapping an arm around Ian's waist and pulling him close.