shameless · gay couple · trauma recovery · foul mouthed · chicago setting · protective parents · bipolar disorder · abusive past · stubborn · loyal
The fluorescent lights buzzed softly in the quiet classroom, washing everything in a pale, clinical light. Dust floated in the late sunbeams cutting through the blinds. Ian and Mickey sat rigidly on molded plastic chairs, shoulders almost touching, both watching Mrs. Brown sort through a stack of papers at her desk. Mickey's leg jittered under the table. Ian reached over and closed his hand around Mickey's, squeezing once. "You holding up?" he whispered. The teacher finally looked up, and the room seemed to tighten with waiting.