Gallavich things I can't stop thinking about from 11x01:
"Morning, Mr. Gallagher"/"Morning, Mr. Milkovich" Like for real, how fucking cute is this? They've been married for six months, and they're still waking up to greet one another with this cutesy shit (which is a pretty adorable callback to the morning after their wedding). I know there's also a little tension, but jesus, how fucking adorably annoying can these two assholes be with the lovey-dovey morning greetings six months in.
Ian just giving up his coffee to Mickey without a second thought (and why not? he needed both hands for that kiss—how else is he going to cradle his husband's face in his giant hands?)
The "I could go another five right now" as Ian takes Mickey's face in his hands and gives him that sweet good morning kiss. Which is such a lovely contrast to the sex talk, actually, because there's really nothing more behind it than a casual good morning kiss, and it just served to reinforce the depth of their relationship because as much as Mickey's talking up Ian's prowess here, this exchange didn't really feel like it was about the sex at all, but rather about Ian and Mickey, happy, comfortable, and together because the most prominent element of this scene is the easy domesticity between them.
Also, both of them humming through the kiss.
Ian's little smile and eyebrow raise as he pulls away from Mickey.
Mickey wanting Ian to call in sick so they can fuck. Again. (Which like, what a fucking fanfic trope. I was entertained.)
"Sorry. I only make toast for husbands who have jobs." This adorably petty motherfucker.
And also, also, the rings through this entire scene.
And Mickey not even being slightly phased by this statement. He immediately gets all flirty and cutesy again with the "Good thing I have a job." Seriously, the little smirk he throws Ian's way with the eyebrow raise.
Ian trying to be the voice of reason about Mickey's not-really job while Mickey swoops in on his breakfast.
Also just Mickey walking in and stealing his husband's breakfast—and I know Ian was poking fun and maybe a little understandably irritated, but it was also just such a cute, domestic little exchange.
Especially because Mickey is so fucking pleased with himself for swiping his husband's toast immediately after Ian has refused to make him some. Look at his fucking mischievous smile. And then Ian glancing down as the toast is stolen from under his nose and literally straight out of his hand as he gives Mickey that really look.
(Side note: I love everything about Gallagher kitchen scenes, especially breakfast scenes. They're just so cozy and domestic. Something about watching them make breakfast and coffee and chat through it about little stuff and big stuff and whatever the fuck else just has such a deep familial feel to it, and I love that this was our first introduction to Ian and Mickey this season.)
Mickey suggesting Ian join him in his fake pay stub laundromat scam. Because I know Ian's right, of course they both need jobs and money, and they need to go about it the legal way so they don't risk losing one another to prison again. But I just find it so very endearing that Mickey wants to spend so much time with Ian. He wants him to call in sick, he wants him to fake a job, he says they're still on their honeymoon. This sweet man just wants to be with his husband as much as possible, and I find that very sweet, especially after six months of marriage.
Mickey immediately offering to "hit the Stop 'n Shop on Rush" so casually like we need money? Fine, I'll steal it (probably from someone who could easily identify him). Because Mickey is nothing if not a problem solver.
"Hey, NO. I don't want to be some sad-ass prison widow catching a bus to Stateville every weekend." Ian's delivery here, though, and the way he waves the butter knife at Mickey. I found this moment both cute and compelling because it's so important to me how much Ian doesn't want to lose Mickey. To try to keep Mickey Milkovich out of crime has got to be no easy feat, but he's damn well going to try because he's not going to lose his husband (but also he would absolutely be on that bus as his statement reveals, so even IF something happened, Ian's not abandoning Mickey or their marriage, even if prison is standing in the way).
Mickey's uh-huh when Ian says the bills are piling up. (And I don't know, y'all—I'm still getting the feeling Mickey's struggling to find work. Something about his demeanor and the delivery of this line felt guilty even before Ian mentioned the wedding cash. Which maybe is just because he knew what was coming, but I'm getting the feeling he might be trying and failing to find work.)
Mickey's worried, guilty face as soon as Ian mentions digging into the wedding present money, and the way he pauses to try to decide how to respond. Mickey wasn't doing his best at communicating this episode, but I felt like there were lots of little hints that he doesn't feel great about that. Maybe he's embarrassed or nervous or whatever else, and certainly, I think he needs to step up here and meet Ian halfway with the communication and honestly, but it really felt like Mickey regretted spending that money and wanted Ian to know he really does plan to replace it. (Which also has me thinking he might have spent it on essentials, but more on that later.)
Mickey calling Ian lover. (And can I just say, I am THRILLED at the return of the cutesy nicknames from Mickey.)
Mickey walking off for an "ice bath" with one single 12-cube ice tray as if that's going to do anything…
The one lone shirt on top of their wedding cash stash.
The entire box full of IOUs.
Ian just flinging the door open to the bathroom and leaving it that way.
The shower curtain Mickey's tied up (which in my entire life, it has somehow never once crossed my mind that you could do that, but it is ingenious).
The way the camera pans to Mickey and then back up to Ian again. And just in general, the framing is interesting here, as it places Ian quite literally above Mickey at the point when he's angriest. The cramped quarters of the bathroom also help to emphasize the tension here.
Mickey playing it off like he's unconcerned, even though he can barely look at Ian.
Ian being so dedicated to making Mickey understand that it's their money now. And I know there's tension here, but this is very important to me because I think it shows just how very in this marriage Ian is. While Mickey's showing his own devotion with his desire to be with Ian and spend time, Ian's showing Ian's showing his through his need to communicate and to share their resources. Ian is not down for any kind of separation from Mickey, even just in their finances.
And I do find it interesting that Mickey's brushing it off, but I think there could be a lot behind that, and I'm not sure he's taking well to not being able to just steal it, but he also seems to be respecting Ian's wishes in that respect, which is a major change for him.
But also, it feels very much like Mickey is feeling guilty—especially from his reaction in the kitchen—and he's getting defensive to try to cover for it.
"We decided we were saving it to get our own place." "No, no. YOU decided we were saving it to get our own place. I said we should use the wedding money for us to have some fuckin' fun."—This whole exchange feels really important, and I do hope they explore this further. I'm intrigued by the idea that Mickey might legitimately want to stay in the Gallagher house, maybe out of fear of change or worries about money (because if they don't have enough now, what's going to happen if they move) or just a desire to maintain the sense of community that comes with living in the Gallagher house. And I don't necessarily think Mickey would want to stay because of the family, exactly, but there's a kind of camaraderie that I think comes with living in the Gallagher house that I could imagine Mickey enjoys. And the idea that Mickey's maybe a little fearful of moving out and moving on with Ian seems like it could make a lot of sense here—destabilizing their center, the Gallagher house, and taking on increased financial responsibility when there's already tension and a pandemic and what the fuck ever seems like it could leave Mickey worried. Mickey tends to like to live in the moment, I think—especially with Ian (something I think we also saw with his worry over the future talk and the sudden major change when Ian was set to be released from prison before him). And I don't think this is a bad thing, but I do wonder if, in part, it's at least a little tied to fear of change. The wedding and the marriage likely didn't raise any alarm bells for him about change, since their physical stability was going to remain the same. The only thing changing was the nature of their relationship in a way that brought them closer—and that's a big change, absolutely, but I think Mickey has a lot more faith in their relationship than he does in the potential pitfalls of changing living arrangements. Anyway. I think this storyline is intriguing.
I am really very proud of Ian for calming his anger enough to sit down on the edge of the tub beside Mickey to try to talk things through more calmly, especially since he was angry enough to toss the shoebox rather aggressively with that "one of us has certainly been having some fuckin' fun."
Ian—even though he's not happy—reaching out to take Mickey's hand. Another moment that really solidified the depth of their relationship for me. There may be some tension, but they obviously still love one another deeply, and Ian wanting that connection with Mickey to help him calm himself and maybe to help ground Mickey so that they can have this conversation without the defensiveness. Because Ian is really trying here.
Mickey scooting up in the tub, but keeping tight hold of Ian's hand rather than pulling away for better leverage. Neither of them are willing to let go, even though they're in the middle of a little spat.
Mickey's list seemed significant to me. He's dismissive, but I didn't really get the vibe that he's spending on random shit. This is also why I'm not personally bothered by the meds line. Maybe it was a little insensitive, but the way I read that scene was that that was literally what Mickey was spending their money on; that he used it to buy immediate necessities that maybe Ian hasn't been thinking about as much because he's focused on things like bills and utilities. And even if that's not the case, I don't really think it's fair to assume that Mickey could never make an insensitive comment about Ian's illness. Of course he loves Ian and when Ian was struggling so much back in s5, he did everything in his power to make sure that Ian was safe and healthy. But that doesn't mean that he's never going to make mistakes on that front. Especially if he really IS just spending money on necessities — some irritation over Ian's anger with him would be understandable and the comment about his meds would be a means of making Ian understand that it's not like he's just wasting the money (also note, the IOUs seem to match the costs of Mickey's list—$3, $5, $25—makes sense for beer, expensive lube, and maybe meds, though $25 is certainly on the low end for meds uninsured). I think it's silly to expect Mickey to be 100% perfectly pc with Ian over his meds now that Ian is in a good place. Before, Mickey was tiptoeing through unknown territory and so was Ian. Now Ian is managing his illness and they have both figured out the ins and outs of the situation. Mickey not being as careful with his words makes perfect sense to me here, particularly because Ian does not seem hurt by it, just annoyed. If Ian had been, I would feel very differently, but their dynamic has changed. Marriage is hard. Money issues are hard. Mental illness is hard—for both the person with the illness and those close to them. Now that they're both in a good place with each other and they both understand and are managing Ian's illness, Mickey's probably not going to be as careful with his words. I think we can all be confident that if Ian were to end up in a rough place because of his illness, Mickey would probably be a little gentler.
But all in all, I really did get the sense that Mickey's frustrated and embarrassed and that made him defensive. (I have no actual idea, but I really do feel like Mickey might be struggling to find a legitimate job and it's put him on edge, and I think this would especially be true if he's having to spend their wedding cash for essentials to keep them afloat. Again, pure speculation. Just a feeling because I'd like it to be true. If they don't go that route, maybe I'll write a fic.)
Ian removing himself from the situation when he begins to get angry again, especially when Mickey makes it clear he's not going to budge in the conversation at this moment. I really do think Ian's showing a lot of emotional growth on this front. He seems to be recognizing his anger and actively trying to calm himself and reassure Mickey that regardless of his frustration, they're still in this together. And I really felt for him when Mickey dismissed the "that's what happens when you get married" point because he seemed so sad and frustrated that they weren't on the same page. Ian is putting his whole self into this marriage, and I think that's a really beautiful development. I didn't doubt it would be the case, of course, but I'm really proud of him for his attempts at strengthening their relationship through more open communication.
And Mickey also looks so sad and defeated to me after Ian walks out the door.
Ian ranting his way through work. (And holy hell, he was talking SO FAST. This poor sweet boy is so frustrated. And rightly so, let's be honest.)
"Says we're still on our honeymoon." How cute is this, though? I mean, Ian's right. Of course he's right here. But I still find it very sweet that Mickey's so committed to their honeymoon phase.
"How long you been married?" "SIX MONTHS." That delivery, though.
Ian's nervous eyes when his coworker says "You shoulda worked that shit out before you tied the knot. Once you're married, it's already too late." He so clearly doesn't want this shit to break them, and it really is beautiful.
Ian whispering "naptime?" and then moving to hover over Freddie to watch him sleep for a moment. I am all about uncle!Ian.
Ian asking Lip for advice. (And I love Lip as big brother, but if we're being honest, Lip is not the one anyone should be going to for money advice, as he demonstrates in this scene.)
"Me and you, we never had much of anything growing up, and we always managed to get by, right?" "Barely." I think this is important. Mickey, I think, is in a similar frame of mind as Lip—money doesn't matter because they'll figure it out as they go, no need to move when they have a roof over their heads (and a room to themselves), why save when they can live in the moment and just have fun together? And I don't think this is a great mindset, but I do think it makes sense with the way they grew up. Ian, on the other hand, I think, is very conscious of money because he doesn't want to end up barely getting by, especially if he and Mickey are going to start a family together someday. Ian craves financial stability as a way of nurturing their marriage and relationship, while Mickey prioritizes time spent and togetherness.
Also, poor Ian, just trying to get an answer about how Lip and Tami have (or haven't) combined their finances, and Lip's rambling about not caring about money and Tami caring too much.
"You and Mick having some money troubles?" I love that Lip calls Mickey Mick. Also, Lip, pay attention—Ian pretty much told you that was exactly what this was about at the beginning of the conversation.
"Figured we just agreed on how things were gonna work." Also important. These poor dummies. TALK TO EACH OTHER.
"Guess not, huh?" "Yeah. It's my mistake, I guess." Ian owning up to this and saying it with so much honesty just made me prouder of him. Of course it's absolutely not all on Ian—Mickey played just as big a role in this misunderstanding as Ian—but I think it shows a lot of character for Ian to accept his part of the responsibility.
"Well, you gotta talk about. Right, you compromise. All that couple shit." (😒 He's not wrong, but hey Lip, take your own advice, damn.)
Ian giving Lip that of course look when Lip asks if they love each other because of course that's not a question.
"You sure I can't just get him to do everything the way I want?" This was cute, though.
Mickey looking nervous and contemplative sitting out on the porch by himself.
Ian bringing out a beer for Mickey.
"We need to be honest with each other, all right? No more secrets." I really appreciated this. I don't think Mickey keeps things from Ian because he's trying to keep secrets exactly, but because sometimes he's not proud of the things he's doing or he's embarrassed or worried about messing things up between them. But I do think honesty and openness is the first step toward the two of them working everything out so that they're not always on edge with one another.
"No secrets at all?" This stood out to me. Something is going on with Mickey and he's afraid to tell Ian.
"Look, if this is about the wedding money, I'm gonna pay it back, man." I really think something's going on with Mickey. He's not proud of taking that money. He IS sorry, even if he's not saying it in so many words. But his insistence from the beginning that he's going to replace the money really does show that he regrets taking it and hiding it from Ian. And I don't think this is just because of their conversation. He was feeling guilty before. Hell, he took the time to write out an IOU every time he took money from their wedding stash. That's not something you do without full intent to replace. And I also think it implies that Mickey knows how much it means to Ian to be saving that money for their own place because otherwise I don't know that he would be so committed to replacing it all. I mean, it was money they got for their wedding—if he was just taking it to take it and had no qualms about it, he wouldn't be writing IOUs. That very act, I think implies both that he knows it's important to Ian and that he recognizes that it is their money and not just his to take without considering Ian.
The way Ian puts that hand on Mickey's knee as Mickey says he'll pay back the money. Just like with the bathtub handholding moment, this felt like Ian's way of reassuring and comforting Mickey. Because yes, it's an issue, but I also think it's very clear how much they both love one another and how much Ian wants Mickey to know that this is something they will work out. And that they need to talk about it, but Ian's leaving aside any anger because he truly wants them to be on the same page.
Ian adjusting his wording from rules to a mutual understanding.
The way Mickey's visibly nervous through this whole discussion.
Sweet Ian going so off track with the monogamy curveball. Like, I certainly think it's an important discussion for them to have, but also, Ian, honey, you gotta focus—don't just throw everything at him at once. Especially when Mickey probably never expected this to be a question. Ian's go big or go home attitude about the future talks keep getting him in trouble. Seriously, this was such a clear parallel to 10x03's "marriage, kids, retirement" talk, and catching Mickey off guard always leaves him a little defensive.
Ian looking nervous because Mickey looks nervous. And I really do think these two fools just didn't expect to have this conversation. It just fell out of Ian's mouth and Mickey's walls immediately went up over the possibility that that's something they need to discuss. Seriously, look at both their faces. They're worried and uncertain. Immediately. Those are not the faces of two men who actually want to fuck other people. They're the faces of two men who are both afraid their husband wants to fuck other people.
I also don't really think we should read much into Mickey asking the "we just talking fucking?" question. If you notice, Mickey's tossing out random, clipped questions every time he's visibly uncomfortable with this conversation ("No secrets at all?"/"What does that mean?"/"What the hell is that?"/"We just talking fucking, or are we talking about blowjobs, too?"). He's not sure how to approach this discussion, and he's relying on Ian to lead—to the point that Mickey's barely participating in the conversation, but rather seems to be trying to uncover what Ian wants from him.
Which makes the "You really never wanna fuck anybody else?" important here. I didn't read that as an implication that Mickey wants to be with other people, but rather as an indication that he's not sure what Ian wants. Considering their history, this is probably a big question for Mickey, and honestly, I think he would very much rather convince himself he's okay with Ian fucking other people than face the hurt he would feel if they agreed not to and then Ian slipped up at some point (which I do not believe Ian would, but just in general, I think Mickey's raising his walls a bit as a protective mechanism to avoid history repeating itself). Again, this is a direct parallel to the 10x03 future talk, and I think that's telling because Mickey's showing very similar behaviors, wherein he acted like he didn't care and didn't want the direct commitment, when I think it was very clear from the rest of the context that he very much wanted that commitment. He was just afraid to let his guard down for fear of being hurt.
"If I'm being honest, I'm not really sure either. It's just kinda hard to imagine that I'm never ever gonna wanna fuck anyone else, you know?" So, I actually find this line really reassuring. I mean, first, he's 23. That's really fucking young, and I can absolutely see how the idea of only ever having sex with one person—even if he fully in love with that one person—would seem like a daunting hypothetical. But more importantly, I think this line implies that Ian absolutely has been fully committed to Mickey and hasn't even thought about being with anyone else since they got back together. That never ever sticks out to me. He's talking about a far off hypothetical here. This is not something he's actually been thinking about. He only wants Mickey, and the implication is that this has been true for quite some time and that he expects it to remain true for quite some time, even if he struggles with the idea that it could never happen in some distant future.
Now, I don't, however, think this line was reassuring to Mickey. Mickey looks a little let down when Ian says he's not sure. He's quiet, not really reacting, and his body language seems a little closed off. This feels like the moment Mickey starts to think maybe Ian is interested in a more open relationship. I don't read this conversation as truly implying that's what either of them wants, but I do think that Mickey's walls are building back up just a little here. (Again, 10x03 parallel—Mickey would rather have plausible deniability to protect him rather than dealing with any direct hurt that may arise if they admit to wanting different things.)
Ian admitting he doesn't want Mickey to fuck other people. And his delivery was very sweet there, and I feel like he was fishing for Mickey to say the same.
But it really did kind of come off double standard-ish, which led Mickey to call him out. Which is another indication to me that Mickey thinks Ian's talking now, when Ian's statement really seemed to be implying a distant hypothetical future. But Mickey's "Hold on, that just means you wanna be able to fuck other people, but you don't want me to be able to fuck other people." shows us right away that Mickey is reading Ian's confession about a hypothetical future as immediate.
That leads to Mickey expecting Ian to write "fuck other people" on that paper.
And then IAN assumes Mickey's response means MICKEY wants to fuck other people, and suddenly he's not doing so well leading this conversation, and now they're both asking questions neither is willing to answer without knowing how the other feels and they get all nervous with the awkward glances and the avoiding one another's eyes.
So Ian thinks Mickey wants to fuck other people and Mickey thinks Ian wants to fuck other people, and Mickey FOR SURE won't answer without knowing what Ian wants, but Ian's committed himself to this conversation because he knows they need to work through this shit, so Ian's going to be honest.
Ian's solution, though, to try to help them get over this little hurdle, since both of them are so apprehensive about speaking up, and I mean, I get it—they're both new to this open communication thing and this is an awkward conversation I don't think either one of them was expecting.
(Side note: Why was there a random envelope sitting outside? Did Ian just take an unopened piece of mail and rip it in half? He had to go inside for the pencil. Why didn't he just get paper there?)
Mickey does not like this game. But also, he won't just say what he wants, so Mickey, honey, this one's on you.
Sweet Mickey is so nervous about writing the wrong thing here. He tries to peek at Ian's paper. His brow is furrowed and he looks so worried. His body language is hella closed off after he actually writes what he's going to write.
Seriously, he looks TERRIFIED of getting this wrong when he gives that tight little shrug when Ian says to turn them over on three.
Ian writing monogamy (I had absolutely zero doubt, but still, it warms my heart anyway).
Mickey refusing to turn his paper over.
Their little scuffle while Ian tries to get the paper from him and Mickey starts screaming about spelling monogamy wrong.
And for real, y'all, I think this tells us all we need to know about whether or not Mickey wants to fuck other people. Because if he DID, I'm pretty confident he would have just said so. But Mickey wanted to know where IAN stood. He didn't want to be wrong here. And I think that's a pretty good indication that Mickey has no actual desire to fuck other people but that he does have a desire to make sure Ian is happy and their relationship remains solid, even if that means being willing to entertain an open relationship.
Mickey using Carl as a distraction.
But also the brother-in-law energy. I am LOVING it.
Also, the way Mickey keeps glancing up at Ian.
"Fuckin' fantastic. No more parking tickets for me." "You don't have a car, dumbass." I love these two assholes so much.
Literally EVERYONE just showing up on the sidewalk.
Mickey's overenthusiastic response when Debbie asks if they're coming to Lip and Tami's while he's still visibly nervous and that REALLY look Ian gives him in return.
Mickey taking off after the neighborhood, and Ian abandoning his beer and paper on the front steps and chasing after him.
And maybe their conversation didn't go as planned, but I think they were both trying, and it's so clear how much they love one another, and hopefully with a little more practice they'll have this open communication thing down.
Mickey giving Carl's shoulder a squeeze as he follows him in.
"Hey, give me a hammer, I wanna break some shit." Also he looks so fucking excited walking into that house.
Lip worrying about Ian and Mickey and checking in with Ian.
Mickey turning up the stereo and that fucking smile on his face as Vee hands him a beer.
Ian's "Uh… sort of" when Lip asks if they talked. (And I mean. Yeah. He's not wrong. The money conversation definitely got derailed.)
The way the camera cuts between Ian and Mickey here. I don't know, I'm just really emotional over the idea of Ian watching his husband fondly from across the room he insists "We'll figure it out" right before he heads straight for Mickey because it's just so clear how important Mickey is to him and how much he truly means it when he says they'll figure it out.
And I find it really impressive that even while they've been on edge and angry over the money shit, neither one of them has let that really get in the way of their love for one another. They're both openly giving and taking affection through both touch and general closeness and the desire to be near one another. This isn't something either of them is going to let break them. And while that's not surprising, it sure is a beautiful commentary on the strength of their relationship and the foundation they've built together.
Mickey and Ian standing so close while they chat with Sandy and Debbie. Also, it looks like Mickey is directly chatting with Debbie and I'm in the in-law feels again (which is so stupid because of course they talk to each other—they live in the same house—but something about seeing them just milling around all together at a small family gathering just really gets to me).
"Ian's married to a Milkovich. Really didn't see that one coming."
Ian's arm slung around Mickey's shoulder, and Mickey's thousand watt smile as he laughs and Ian just watches him with that adoring little smile.
Mickey shaking his head at Ian, smile still firmly in place.
Ian reaching out to brush his fingers over Mickey's tattoo of his name.
These two fuckers are HAPPY. Maybe shit's a little rocky. Maybe they haven't figured it all out yet. Maybe communication still isn't their strong suit. But they are HAPPY and they are IN LOVE, and at the end of the day, as long as they have that, they'll figure it out.
