Many children bring happiness, a shameless start

"Ian, tell me what happened," Lip said, smiling as he patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

Ian sighed, his face full of sadness. "Lip, Mickey got shot in the thigh by Kash. But somehow, Mickey ended up in juvie and got six months in detention!"

Lip raised an eyebrow. "Wait, who's Kash? And why did he shoot Mickey?"

"Kash owns the convenience store where I work," Ian explained.

"Oh! Is he the guy I met that day when I came looking for you? You two came rushing out of the warehouse in such a panic you even wore mismatched shoes?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"But why did he shoot Mickey?" Lip asked, curious now.

Ian hesitated. "It's… a long story. Do you have time?"

"Of course! I'm your brother. If you've got something to share, I'll always make time for it," Lip reassured him with a grin. "But this living room doesn't seem like the right place. Let's head to our room."

"Alright," Ian agreed.

Before leaving, Lip turned to Karl, who was sitting nearby. "Hey, Karl, take over the living room for now. Play some GTA, alright?"

"Sure," Karl replied, confused but compliant.

Once in their shared bedroom, Lip handed Ian a cigarette and lit it for him. Cigarettes, he thought, always seemed to pair well with heavy conversations.

Ian exhaled a long puff of smoke and began, "Lip, the main reason I stayed working at that store, aside from the decent pay, was… Kash."

"So, what's your relationship with him? Lovers?"

Ian shook his head. "Not exactly. At most, we were… uh… friends who helped each other out."

"Helped how?" Lip teased.

"You know, just… passionate stuff," Ian muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"Got it! You mean 'friends with benefits.' Why not just say so?" Lip chuckled.

"Fine! Yes, we were friends with benefits," Ian admitted, smiling bitterly. "At first, things were fine between us, but then Kash started catching feelings."

Lip's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Isn't Kash married with kids?"

"Exactly! His wife, Linda, started getting suspicious. She installed four hidden cameras in the store while we were both away."

Lip groaned, "Don't tell me she caught you two…"

Ian nodded. "She did. And after seeing the footage, she confronted Kash. She demanded to know why he hadn't touched her in half a year!"

"And Kash? Did he confess?"

"No. He denied everything until Linda reviewed the surveillance. That's when she fired me from the store."

"Fired you? Why? Could she really tolerate this situation?"

Ian sighed. "Apparently, yes. Linda told Kash to focus on her and have another child. She only asked him to stop seeing me… at least until she was pregnant."

Lip looked incredulous. "And Kash agreed to this?"

"He had no choice," Ian replied with a bitter laugh. "But then, Mickey showed up."

"Mickey? What does he have to do with this?" Lip asked, leaning in.

"It's complicated, Lip. Let me explain," Ian said, taking another puff of his cigarette.

"After Linda laid down her rules, I started losing interest in Kash. But Kash wasn't ready to let go. One day, he brought me to his house while Linda was out. I couldn't stand the suffocating vibe of his place, so I left."

Ian continued, "Then, two weeks later, Kash invited me to the store's warehouse to rekindle things. Just as we were about to… you know… Mickey barged in."

Lip smirked. "And Mickey joined the party?"

Ian shook his head. "No! He just smiled, grabbed a bunch of snacks and beer, and walked out. But after that, Mickey kept coming back to steal things."

"Let me guess—'shopping' for free?"

"Exactly. Even I couldn't stand it, but Kash just let him do it."

"And Linda? Did she find out?"

Ian nodded. "Of course. Linda noticed the inventory didn't match the sales. She checked the cameras again and realized it was Mickey."

"So what did she do?"

"She was furious. She wanted to call the cops but backed off when she learned Mickey was a Milkovich. Instead, she got herself a pistol."

"A pistol?!" Lip exclaimed.

"Yes. One night, Linda took Kash and me to an empty lot under the train tracks to practice shooting."

Ian paused to take another puff. "Linda told Kash to scare or shoot Mickey if he ever showed up again. Kash was hesitant, but Linda pressured him."

"And Kash actually shot Mickey?"

"Not right away," Ian said, shaking his head. "There were more complications. Last week, Kash was upset because Mickey stole his gun and the store's cash register. I tried confronting Mickey but didn't get anywhere until I found him at home."

"And?"

Ian blushed slightly. "We fought. Then… I got him."

Lip stared at him. "Wait, what do you mean, 'got him?'"

"I mean… I slept with him," Ian admitted, his face turning redder.

Lip laughed. "I knew it! With your charm, of course, you'd be the dominant one!"

Ian grinned sheepishly. "After that, Mickey and I grew closer. We… uh… explored our feelings in a lot of places."

"Okay, I get it. But what happened next?"

"Last Tuesday, Mickey and I were messing around on the shelves at the convenience store when Kash walked in. He looked stunned at first but didn't say anything. Mickey, being Mickey, decided to provoke him. He grabbed a Snickers bar, took a bite, and said, 'It's sweet,' right in front of Kash."

Lip burst out laughing. "Classic Mickey!"

Ian sighed. "Kash snapped. He grabbed the pistol and fired three shots. Thankfully, his aim was terrible. He missed Mickey's head but hit his thigh."

"And then?"

"The cops were called. After reviewing the footage, they arrested Mickey for robbery. Now he's in juvie."

Lip put a comforting hand on Ian's shoulder. "Ian, I've never seen you this upset. Do you really love Mickey?"

Ian nodded, tears brimming in his eyes. "I think I do, Lip. I just… I can't stand the thought of him being locked up."

Lip smiled. "Alright. I'll help you get him out. But on one condition."

"Anything!" Ian said eagerly.

"If I succeed, you have to bring Mickey over so I can meet him."

"Deal!" Ian agreed.

Lip chuckled and fist-bumped his brother. "Now, let me talk to Jessica. She might be able to help."

Ian looked surprised. "Jessica? The Dragon Kingdom girl? Isn't she part of the Hongmen?"

"Yep," Lip said confidently. "And if anyone can help, it's her."

Though Lip seemed calm, he couldn't help but feel nervous. Jessica was no ordinary woman, and dealing with her always came with complications.