a lot of mickey’s actions of love seem bigger than ian’s because he was able to make bigger gestures of love. mickey was in a much more dangerous position than ian when it came to being gay and being in a relationship, so when he takes steps to show his love for ian they seem bigger because they’re more dangerous.
e.g. mickey coming out in season 4, mickey breaking out of prison to see him, mickey getting himself thrown back into prison for ian and so on.
a lot of fans equate these ‘bigger’ gestures to mickey being more in love than ian is, when in actuality ian just doesn’t have the opportunity to put himself at risk for mickey the way that mickey does.
ian can’t come out for mickey like mickey does, because none of ian’s family would care like mickey’s family does. ian can’t break out of prison because he’s never in prison. ian can’t get himself thrown into prison for mickey, because let’s remember ian had a family and a life he would be leaving while mickey had no family in mexico and was working for a cartel, so not much of a free life either.
even so, when ian does have the opportunity to do something dangerous for mickey, he does it. he drives through the entirety of america with mickey, even though he’s an escaped convict with the whole of chicago after him and not much of a plan. he was about to shiv someone to stay with mickey in prison because mickey was UPSET. not to save mickey’s life or their relationship, just because mickey was sad and insecure about ian leaving. like hello?? (im gonna write more about this in another post because i have more to say on it).
he turns up at mickey’s wedding in s3 despite the potential risk (because he knew terry was there and wanted to kill him) to try and save mickey from a life he would hate, full of lies and control and pain.
and let’s not forget about the other huge gestures of love ian makes that may not be as dangerous but are just as meaningful. he gives mickey two years worth of his savings at the border, when that money obviously means so much to ian since he grew up with nothing and worked his ass off for it. he pushes through his fear of commitment and proposes to him (after beating people up for mickey, which is definitely mickey’s ideal proposal). he tells Lip off for hitting him even when him and mickey are arguing a tonne.
i’d even argue that the porno ian filmed was him trying to do something for mickey. people ignore it because it was clearly a misguided decision and ian was manic at the time and it was a truly terrible situation, but even so, ian saw that they needed money and did everything he could to get them money, not realising the impact it would have. remember, ian’s grown used to seeing his body as a commodity. he seems genuinely surprised that mickey was upset about it, because he probably thought mickey would see his body as a commodity too.
anyway, all i’m saying is that NO mickey doesn’t love ian more than ian loves mickey. they love each other equally. it only may seem like ian loves mickey less or mickey loves ian more (to some fans) because the things that mickey does for ian are more dangerous and life threatening. they’re only like that though because they have to be, and ian’s not in the situation to do that as much.
i know this probably sounds really convoluted, but it’s just my argument to why people seem to think mickey loves ian more or ‘fell harder’ and why that’s bullshit.
let them love each other the same
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