"Hey, you wanna go to my place for dinner tonight?" Ian asked as he came into the Milkovich living room, his phone in hand. "Lip stole some chicken lasagne."

"What?" Mickey glanced up from his position on the couch.

"My place, food?"

"Uh...nah, I thought we could just stay in, make some pizza bagels or something."

"What's wrong with you, you've been acting funny all day." Come to think of it, Mickey had been acting strange and unusually quiet for the past few days. Something was up and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong alright?"

"Well then what's up? I know you well enough by now to know when something's on your mind, something serious."

Mickey bit the corner of his lip and Ian could tell he was weighing whether or not to open up.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

Ian was shocked at the serious tone of Mickey's voice and the nervous look on his face. His heart dropped. His first thought was that Mickey was finally going to kick him out. He had let him stay there when he was in his depressed state, let him stay while he recovered and got his meds straightened out. Now that Ian was doing better, maybe Mickey had finally had enough of him. Ian panicked at the thought of not waking up next to his boyfriend every morning. He'd become so attached to him, he thought Mickey had felt the same way but obviously he'd thought wrong.

"Okay," Ian said slowly, cautiously taking a seat next to him on the couch. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I've been thinking." Mickey started.

Oh no, here it comes.

"You been basically living here the last few months right."

Ian's heart was pounding in his chest, waiting for the inevitable blow. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Mickey continued.

"I was thinking that, like, maybe we could make it official or whatever." He stumbled over his words and Ian had to take a moment to make sure he had heard right. He wanted to make it official that they were living together? What did that even mean; did he want him to help pay the bills?

"What do you mean, 'official'? If you want me to help out with bills and stuff..."

"No no nah man, I don't mean the house. I don't give a shit where we live. I mean official as in us, you and me."

"I'm not following you Mick, I thought we were official. I mean you already said we're a couple. What do you want to put it on Facebook?" Ian laughed at the idea. Mickey didn't even have a Facebook profile.

"No I meant legally." Mickey stated, dead serious.

Ian just blinked at him. He couldn't be serious. But surely Mickey wouldn't joke about something this big.

"Are you...are you asking what I think you're asking?"

"Well I'm not gonna get down on my fucking knee or anything if that's what you're wondering."

"But...but what about...what about Svetlana?"

"I already asked her for a divorce last week. She agreed to it. As long as I help out with the baby, pay child support or whatever. And let her and her dyke girlfriend stay as long as they want."

"I can't believe it. I...I thought it was just a piece of paper to you."

"Yeah well I realized that it's a little bit more than that. I mean don't get me wrong, it's gay as shit and I don't think for a second that a piece of paper and some cheesy vows is gonna prove what we mean to each other but there are certain legalities that come with it. Important ones."

Ian instantly knew what Mickey was referring to. When he'd been at his worst Fiona had threatened to take Ian away from him. To get him committed. Ian knew that Fiona was just worried about him and didn't want him to hurt himself but it wasn't fair of her to threaten Mickey like that. The fact of the matter was that she was still his legal guardian and she could make those kinds of decisions for him. Luckily Ian recovered enough to willingly go to the clinic to seek help and get on the right medication, but Ian knew how scared Mickey had been. How helpless he had felt. Ian was his world but he had no legal say over him. Even if Ian had been of age he still wasn't family. Not legally anyway. Not yet.

"Well...you gonna give me an answer or just leave me hanging?"

Ian's face broke out into the shit eating grin he knew drove Mickey crazy. Instead of answering he launched himself at his boyfriend, grabbing his face and pulling him into a passionate, all consuming kiss. After a few seconds Mickey pulled away, gasping for air.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes!" Ian planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Yes," kissing his neck, "yes," kissing his way down his chest, "of course I'll marry you."

"This doesn't mean we're gonna have some big fat gay wedding or anything."

Ian laughed out loud at that. "Mickey, I don't care if we get married in a dumpster, just as long as I get to call you my husband."

Husband. Mickey liked the sound of that coming from Ian's mouth.

Mickey couldn't help but return Ian's smile. And he smiled wider than he had since he came out to his father. For the second time in his life he felt free. Free from the sham of a marriage to his wife. Free from feeling helpless and alone. Free to marry the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. For the first time in a long time, Mickey felt truly happy.