Gallavich

Gallavich is the canon relationship between Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich in the American Showtime comedy-drama television series Shameless (US) which is a remake of the British series which focuses on the dysfunctional Gallagher family set in Chicago.
==Canon==
Season 1 begins with the viewers learning that Ian Gallagher, the 3rd of a family of 6 neglected children is gay. We quickly learn that Ian has been involved in a secret relationship with his married boss, Kash Karib. Mickey Milkovich is first introduced as the neighborhood thug when his younger sister Mandy accuses Ian of 'messing with her' after he rejects her sexual advances. Mickey is seen attempting to hunt Ian down to seek revenge for his sister.
Later, Ian tracks Mandy down and tells her that he is gay, which leads to them entering into a fake relationship to protect him at school. Shortly after this, Mickey is seen to be frequently stealing from the store Ian works at, where he eventually steals a gun from Kash. In an attempt to get the gun back, Ian sneaks into Mickey's bedroom with a tire iron, where the two fight until they both realize what they really want.
This begins a casual but secret relationship with the pair that lasts this way from season 1 to season 4. 
Mickey is not a regular character for the first few seasons, some of his time away being caused by stints in juvie, first after being shot by Kash, and then for violating his parole and being sent back to juvie on purpose after they are caught by Ian's father. 
Their relationship is seen to be clearly growing and developing into something much stronger, but Mickey is still very much in the closet and in denial of his feelings. Early in S3 he is seen to be warming to the idea that Ian is important to him, and eventually invites him for a sleepover when his family are all supposed to be away. His father however returns early and catches them, which leads to both of them being beaten (Mickey much more severely), and his father calling in a Russian hooker to 'fuck the gay out of him', while he forces Ian to watch at gunpoint. Ian learns later from Mandy that Mickey is getting married to the same Russian, in a wedding being arranged by their father. When all of his attempts at convincing Mickey to not go through with it, Ian runs away to join the army, having stolen his older brother's identity. 
In Season 4, Ian is eventually discovered to have gone AWOL from the army, and Mickey is asked to track him down and bring him home. He eventually locates Ian working as a dancer at a gay club in Boystown, and manages to bring him home. Mickey abandons his pregnant wife to move in with Ian and his family, where they continue their no longer entirely secret but still mostly hidden relationship. Ian's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic throughout the course of the season, and his frustration with their relationship status continues to bubble up. Eventually, when he follows Mickey to the celebration of his son's Christening, he confronts Mickey and tells him not to bother coming back unless they can be openly together. This forces Mickey's hand into coming out publicly in front of his family, including his father. Both boys are severely beaten again, but Mickey's father is arrested for violating his parole, and they are now free to go home together. Unfortunately, as Ian's family has long suspected, Ian suffers from Bipolar Disorder, and shortly after the fight, he sinks into a severe depression and is unable to get out of bed. 
Season 5 sees Ian living with Mickey, his wife, their son, and his wife's girlfriend. His behaviour continues to be erratic, with frequent displays of hyper-sexuality as well as an inability to control his temper, and making impulsive decisions. This comes to a head when Ian, believing they need to earn more money, is convinced by a stranger at the club he still works at to make a pornographic movie. When Mickey finds out, he tells Ian he needs to get help. Unfortunately that backfires and instead Ian kidnaps baby Yevgeny and takes off in a stolen car, believing he is taking Yevgeny away for a better life. He is eventually located by police when he they are called because he leaves the baby unattended in the car. This encounter leads to a full psychotic break, and ends with his family and Mickey convincing Ian to check himself into a mental hospital to seek help, where his is formally diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. 
Mickey initially struggles with the decision of whether or not to resume his relationship with Ian, but eventually returns, in what is one of the most memorable canon scenes for the duo. Ian struggles with the side effects of his medication, and when he is eventually tracked down by the military police and arrested for going AWOL, ends up running away with his mother, believing that she is the only one who can understand him. When he returns to Chicago, he breaks off his relationship with Mickey, believing that Mickey wants to "fix" him, and that he needs to find his own path to happiness. This scene also marks the temporary departure of Mickey from the show, as he is arrested for the attempted murder of Ian's half-sister who had turned him in to the military police.
Seasons 6 sees only one appearance of Mickey, where he is seen to be in prison, and asking Ian to wait for him. Ian agrees, but clearly doesn't mean it. He is still struggling with his diagnosis at this time, figuring out a new plan for his future. We see him flitting from job to job, being resentful of the constant demands from his siblings that he take his meds and prove to them that he is, and largely drifting through life. This changes when he witnesses a car accident and saves the occupant of the vehicle, before passing out from smoke inhalation and being rescued himself the by firefighters. He begins a relationship with one of the firefighters, Caleb, who encourages him to take training to become an EMT, a goal which seems to reignite Ian's passion. Caleb ends up cheating on Ian, which leads to the end of their relationship. This takes us through to season 7, where Ian is now happily working as an EMT, and pursuing a casual relationship with a transgender man named Trevor. 
Season 7 ends with Mickey escaping from prison, and immediately contacting Ian to ask him to run away to Mexico with him. After some internal debate, Ian leaves with Mickey, and they head for the Mexican border, intending to start a new life together. In the end, Ian finds himself unable to cross the border with Mickey, deciding that his new, stable life, is what he needs now. On his way home after losing Mickey yet again, Ian also learns that his mother has died.
Season 8 contains what is known as Ian's 'Gay Jesus' phase, as he has decided that his new mission in life is to save queer youth from forced conversion by religious groups, as well as helping to get the homeless kids off the streets. It is believed that during this time he has stopped taking his medication, and is experiencing a full blown manic episode. The Gay Jesus crusade culminates with Ian blowing up a van on live tv to prevent one of the teens he has taken under his protection from being removed by his parents. Ian is arrested and sent to jail to await trial. He is later bailed out by his followers, and faces difficult decisions about what to do - plead not guilty and go to trial, plead not guilty due to insanity to reduce his sentence, and risk the entire movement he has created, or run away (possibly to find Mickey). 
Ian eventually pleads not guilty due to insanity, and is sentenced to one year in prison. At the end of Season 9, we see him arriving to turn himself in, and being shocked to discover that his cellmate is Mickey - who has rolled on the cartel he was working for in Mexico in order to come and join Ian in prison. 
Season 10 shows the two living together in prison, struggling due to spending far too much time together, but also clearly very much still in love. Ian is released first, followed very shortly after by Mickey, who joins him at the Gallagher house to continue living. When both suspect the other of having murdered Ian's corrupt PO, Ian suggests marriage in an attempt to avoid having to testify if Mickey is ever caught. They are at the courthouse to get married when they discover that neither of them is actually guilty, leading Ian to having second thoughts and Mickey eventually storming out. Mickey finds himself a new "boyfriend" named Byron to move in with, and we see Ian's repeated attempts to win Mickey back. He eventually succeeds when he proposes again, and the two return home. Their wedding is the final episode of season 10 
Season 11 was filmed during the Covid pandemic, and shows them struggling both with that, and learning how to be married, and what they want their relationship to be. By the end of the season, they have rented an apartment and finally moved out of Ian's family home, and have started a business doing weed transport for various businesses now that weed is legal in Illinois. The final episode has Mickey throwing Ian a surprise 1 year anniversary party. 
==Fandom==
This is the dominant pairing in the Shameless (US series) fandom.
Gallavich have a strong following on most social media sites, particularly on tumblr, where numerous blogs can be found dedicated to the pair. They are a popular target for fanfics, fanart, edits, and videos.
The pair are unusual in being not only a canon gay male relationship, but one in which both partners are stereotypically masculine, having come from the poor and rough area know as South Side in Chicago. 
There are over 16,000 fan works on AO3 with Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich listed as a slash pairing.
===Fanon===
There are many notable fanon beliefs surrounding Gallavich and their relationship. 
Examples:
The Fanon version of Ian tends to be a much softer, more feminized person that the canon character. 
There is a commonly held fanon belief that Mickey has never either dated or bottomed for anyone other than Ian.
==Notable Fanfiction==
 
AU's
Title/Link 	Author 	Summary
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 	Shamelessquestions 	Mickey just needs to keep his head down and stay out of trouble at his new job. Still trouble always manages to find him and when it takes the form of his red haired boss, Mickey's not sure he can resist even if he wanted to.
Solid Skies and Slate-Blue Earth Below 	quietcoast 	When late summer comes to Chicago, it finds Mickey Milkovich listless, directionless, and truly alone for the first time in his life. Mickey is content to leave his empty hours empty, but the universe has other plans: A mysterious force attaches itself to Mickey and urges him to leave his life behind, to go, come on, come on--
--and so he does.
Life, or Something 	pink_ink 	Ian has worked hard on stabilizing after a long period of illness. As he approaches the two year mark, Fiona suggests he get a job. He doesn't expect it to be a funeral home. Doesn't expect to meet a hot apprentice. As he draws himself further into that environment, his life begins to change.
Intro to Quantum Dating 	spoonfulstar 	another college au (Currently the longest fanfiction in the Gallavich fandom)
Cooperative Gameplay 	grayola 	At nineteen years old, Ian Gallagher’s stuck. Stuck in a minimum-wage job he hates. Stuck in the same boring routine--sleep, wake, work, take your meds, Ian!, try not to lose it day after day after day. But after his little brother introduces him to MICK MILK, a frustratingly hot horror gamer he watches on YouTube, Ian's life will never be the same. ♥️
Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot 	DodgerBear 	Ian is living his dream in the army, living in New York and training cadets at West Point. Only the big city has never really felt like home and he has a Mickey Milkovich shaped hole in his life. A chance encounter could change everything.
Like Real People Do 	grayola 	At the age of 26, Mickey Milkovich gets his first apartment, his first wifi connection, and his first kiss. How he gets from wifi to kissing is a complicated story. Mickey is socially anxious. Ian is a frustratingly lovable escort working through an app. Mickey downloads said app. The rest is history.
Love is a Ballfield 	and_I_take_it 	Ian and Mickey are teammates on a Triple-A baseball club where they bond over their similar life circumstances. Neither of them want to chance ruining their shot at the major leagues so they attempt to keep their feelings for one another at bay. Until, of course, they can't.
Dancing After Death 	squiddy 	Fresh off a prison sentence, Ian Gallagher is lost, wandering aimlessly through a life that doesn’t feel like his anymore. So when Lip offers him a fresh start halfway across the country, he takes it. He’s not sure what he expected from the small, Northern California town of Charming, but it certainly didn’t involve a closeted, dark-haired, blue-eyed member of the local motorcycle gang turning his life upside down. His head tells him to get the hell out of dodge, but there’s just something about him Ian can’t let go. And maybe he’ll fly too close to the sun and get burned. But it’ll be a beautiful fucking fire. A Gallavich love story set in the Sons of Anarchy universe.
How to Bag a Baddie 	WhatTheBodyGraspsNot 	Getting a text from a stranger threatening to bash his kneecaps in isn’t something Ian planned for tonight. But he’s intrigued. Call it morbid curiosity, fed by both ends as their conversation continues well past “you’ve got the wrong number”. The more he uncovers about this mystery guy, the more he likes, and the more he wants. Especially when he learns he's not the only one gunning for him.
7 simple rules 	OkayKaylyn 	Mickey has 7 simple rules to keep him from getting attached to Ian Gallagher. If only he could stick to them.
Under Lock and Key 	Suzy_queue 	Ian gets assigned to the late-night shift in his college’s housing department, providing spare dorm keys to his fellow students. On top of balancing his course load, dating, and work, he has to babysit his obnoxious shift partner. Mickey needs his job at Kimball University to provide for his siblings and cousins. He can’t get distracted by this new guy he got partnered with. He’s got a bad reputation to uphold, after all. All-nighters. Microbiology. Silly bets. Baseball cards. Fifteen weeks under lock and key.
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Ian Gallagher	Shamelessquestions 	"It's fuck all about heat or chemistry or any such shit, Gallagher. You and me...it's just a thing that cannot happen. The sooner we both accept that, the better off we'll be."
Boy in The Box 	Mellow_Yellow 	The kid with the red hair stood next to his sister like they knew each other, like they were friends, but Mickey (and that was his name, his mind reminded him, like it was rewarding itself for doing a trick, the name the redhead had said, Mickey, he was Mickey), didn’t know him. Of course, Mickey couldn’t trust him. “But I thought…Mickey’s dead,” the kid whispered to Mandy, speaking softly like he didn’t expect Mickey to be able to hear him, or understand, like he was stupid. “He wasn’t dead,” Mandy said clearly, like she was speaking to Mickey, too. “He was just…lost.”
Restoration 	pink_ink 	Old house, new love. Construction workers Ian and Mickey meet on a home restoration job.
The Casanova Catering Conflict 	horror_business 	Ian Gallagher is a young sports model trying to solidify a career in an unstable industry. With a potential career making photoshoot only a few months away, Ian hires a personal chef to make sure he doesn't stray too far from his diet. In comes Mickey Milkovich, a brash chef from the Casanova Catering Company who's just trying to get through the next few months without any hiccups.
Two of Your Earth Minutes 	the_rat_wins 	Mickey figures he has two options: check them both into the hospital, since they're suffering from some sort of shared delusion, or believe the guy when he says he's an alien. The thing is—Mickey believes him.
You make me feel human 	Dragona 	Tell me about your years as an assassin." 
"That's a lot to tell," Gallagher says. "You're going to have to be more specific." 
"Tell me about Milkovich." 
The change in Gallagher's expression is immediate. His smile vanishes and his eyes go cold. Then he takes a deep breath, and laughs. "Oh, you want to know about Mickey." 
In which Ian is a cold-blooded serial killer with a soft spot for a certain South Side asshole.
You Can Bite Me 	Shamelessquestions 	Some vampires rave about the thrill of the hunt, but Ian Gallagher would be the first to tell you that the hunt's not all that thrilling. When he gets the opportunity to have his meals delivered right to his front door, he jumps at it. Now guess who's coming to dinner.
since we're alone 	buffymilkovich and lethargicmick	When Mickey Milkovich first got to the University of Michigan he had two goals; play hockey and get drafted into the NHL. But by his junior year, he’s at risk of losing his full ride scholarship because of his slipping grades. Enter Ian Gallagher, an ambitious and fiery redhead who takes his job as Mickey’s tutor way too seriously and seems determined on making his life a living hell.
The Tension & the Spark 	DodgerBear 	Mickey is left alone with baby Yev. His electricity supply is cut off. Life isn’t going well for him. Enter Ian: perfect stranger, call center worker and the guardian angel Mickey needs.
You Deserve Good Things 	chat_noir 	Mickey has been out on parole for a year and is finally feeling good about himself--feeling free. He's holding down a good, honest job as a mechanic, going to court appointed therapy, living in his own place, and maybe even has a friend. He is finding that freedom is a journey of the mind and having good things not only means working towards them, but also believing you deserve them. However, he soon discovers how fragile those things can be and how easily everything can all come crashing down around him when a new parolee walks through the door, bringing with him some of Mickey's demons that he thought he'd long since buried.
Soulmates
Title/Link 	Author 	Summary
you are inked on my skin long before we begin	milominderbinder	Mickey’s always been scared of getting his words. The words which start to show up a couple of weeks before you meet your soulmate, somewhere on your body, beginning so pale they’re barely legible and gradually fading into inky black; the words which will be the first your soulmate ever says to you. He’s hoped that he’ll be like Terry and never get them at all, because he knows that when he meets his soulmate, it’s gonna be a guy, and that’s dangerous, too dangerous to be worth it.
Our Fate is Red 	LovetheOmni 	Everyone in the world is tied to their soulmate by the "Red String of Fate" around their little finger. Ian and Mickey had been connected in that way since birth, but before they could meet, Mickey was so scared of being gay that he dug deep into his skin and severed the string. The string doesn't connect them anymore, but fate still has a way of bringing people together.
My Whiskey Smells of Oranges 	AnnaNSmith 	Soulmate AU (canon adjacent). Some things are different, some things are jumbled, and some things will always stay the same no matter how two South Side teenage boys meet. Mickey is fucked for life or at least that is what he always believed. Trying to keep a part of himself secret from everyone but especially his dad, he gets blackmailed by his school's principal to enter the Student Mentoring Student program. As if that wasn't already a huge shitshow, a global freak event binds Mickey to a certain freckled ginger. Ah, and he has special abilities now too. Has Mickey already mentioned how much of a clusterfuck his life has turned into?
The Bridge in Black 	MiriamMT 	Ring Soulmate AU
Everyone has a ring that tells them about their soulmate's emotions. Ian is worried about his soulmate who seems to be constantly sad or angry, until the ring one day turns black, which should mean, the soulmate is dead... he almost gives up hope to ever find his soulmate, but then he meets a special person on a bridge and stops him from jumping.
Turquoise 	Hand_of_the_Alex	When you meet your soulmate both of your eye colours merge to form a stunning combination of the both. Ian had never thought he had any chance to find his because it was rare in the Southside of Chicago especially considering he was gay. So when he meets Mickey Milkovich his life changes and becomes a little brighter.
we were in screaming color 	ipretendtobesane	The grass was green, the sky was blue, Mickey’s hair was black, and these were all things he should not be aware of. Not at his age, at least. Colors, his mother always said, were something special. Something to cherish once you found the person that made your whole world explode like a technicolor dream. Mickey never got it, he’s been able to see colors his whole life, proudly telling everyone he knew that his favorite color was green and that he hated the color pink because Mandy always wore it and he was nine years old and had a thing for picking on his little sister.
or
the one where ian and mickey live in a world where when you meet your soulmate your world explodes in color. only thing is- they've both been able to see color their whole lives. they're destined to be, anyways.
Canon Divergent
Title/Link 	Author 	Summary
Melánia 	milominderbinder	A lot’s changed in the two years since Ian and Mandy ran off. Terry’s dead, Svetlana’s moved out, the Kash and Grab has started stocking blue Gatorade – oh, and Mickey’s been raising his brother’s baby ever since Tony went to jail.
But when he realises he might be stuck with the kid for good, Mickey decides to move out of Chicago and actually give her a chance in life. And it’s the couple of familiar faces he finds when he gets to Philly that really set change in motion.
Etherized Against the Sky	Snarfle 	“I wish you had gone to juvie.”
There was one of those automated clap-tracks on the television as another contestant got the question correct. Gallagher’s eyes were dark as the blue lights of the television screen threw weird shadows onto his face. Mickey wished, almost idly, that there was more lighting in the Milkovich household, if just so that Gallagher didn’t look so ominous. He picked up the remote and muted the TV.
A canon-divergent story from 1x09, in which Tony Markovich suspected foul play and coerced an unwilling Mickey Milkovich into revealing the truth about Kash Karib.
 	 	
Canon Compliant
Title/Link 	Author 	Summary
Mickey Milkovich’s Guide to Flirting 	whatwouldmickeydo	Mickey Milkovich doesn’t get crushes, fuck you very much
Or
How Mickey Milkovich learned to stop worrying (so much) and flirt with his crush
Ian Gallagher And All Of His Mistakes	toraten 	Sometimes, on his early shifts when he starts at six a.m and the guy comes in at six thirty, like a whirlwind with a dirt streaked face or a bloody lip or a black eye, but ordering his coffee like he doesn’t look like he just got into a car crash, Ian thinks he hallucinates him. This little guy can’t actually exist out there in the world, right? He’s not actually part of society, is he? Surely, this angry asshole only exists in Ian’s diseased mind? 
Or in which everything is about the same, except that Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich meet each other a little later in life - a little more mature, a little more stable - and manage to make a million mistakes anyway.
spice up your life 	Squiddy 	Ian and Mickey attempt to spice up their sex lives — even further — by embarking on a thirty-day sex challenge.
A/B/O
Title/Link 	Author 	Summary
M8TE 	gallawitch 	M8TE is the premiere app for unmated alphas and omegas. Just enter your location and the dates of your rut or heat cycle, and you’ll be instantly paired with up to 3 potential matches in your area. Who you choose is up to you! Just be sure to tick the appropriate boxes on your profile to signal if you’re looking for a mate or a one-time thing.
M8TE.
What are you waiting for?
Tell Me Your Life Story (series)	cryme_anocean	Mickey is at Miami University on scholarship. Ian Gallagher is the golden boy of the hockey team. Mickey has been lusting after him since freshman year. Finally, they take a class together that lands them as partners on the first day.
Bringing Home Barbarian 	Rayrayor 	In the world of alpha and omega, dominants and submissive, an omega/omega submissive who loses themselves is classified a barbarian, Barbarians are known for lashing out , biting, violence and are often used in sex clubs until "retired by the state". Ian Gallagher a successful therapist, celebrity Alpha and dominant, is convinced by a scent to go on a recon mission to bring his best friends brother , Mickey home with him. After years of abuse Mickey is no longer the cocky young man Ian remembers, but instead a danger to himself and others, a barbarian. Ian is known for being a brat tamer, but will have to dig deep make this work.
== Notable Fanfiction Authors ==
DodgerBear
Shamelessquestions
Grayola
Squiddy
loftec
NotHereNJ
moonlight_inn
Suzy_queue
GallavichGeek13
sam_writes_fics
the_rat_wins
Mrs_Monaghan
== Notable Fan Artists ==
DarthVadersWife
Doodlevich
Panic_Blooms
heymrspatel
Steorie 
PeppermintKatie
ArtofObsession
Gallapiech
Filorux
doshiart
== Communities ==
=== General ===
Gallavich Things Collection of Ian x Mickey (Shameless US) content, mostly fan made. The home of Gallavich Week, other events and the Writer’s Spotlight.
Gallavich Fanart Gallery Sideblog for Gallavich fanart.
AO3-feed Gallavich This is an automated feed using RSS to post the newest Ian/Mickey fics from AO3/FFN on your dash. Please keep in mind, this is not a rec blog.
Mayo in the Morning A Gallavich fanfic podcast
dailymikhailo Mickey gifsets
iangallaghersdaily Ian gifsets 
usergallaghers Daily Shameless content
dailyshameless Daily Shameless content 
Gallavich Coloring Book Gallavich/Shameless themed pages to colour digitally or print
lil-domestic-bitches A spicy aesthetic Gallavich blog.
Gallavich Headcanon Gallavich headcanon questions and meta discussion.
Gallavich Podfic Community A place for Gallavich podfics.
Gallavichprompts A place to leave Gallavich themed prompts and get inspiration for fic and art.
=== Recommendations ===
Gallavich Fanfic Library Reccing and finding Ian & Mickey fanfiction/ fanart within the Shameless community.
Gallavich Fic Finds If you can't remember the name of that fic, or need some recommendations, come tell us what you're looking for, and we'll do our best to find it for you!
slim-jims-in-this-shit-hole Spicy and smutty fanfic and fanart recs.
francesroserecs Gallavich fanfic recs.
bottomiangallagher A blog for Bottom!Ian Gallagher lovers - art and fic recs.
=== Challenges and Events ===
Gallavich Week A yearly Gallavich event with themes, open to all creators for different types of fanworks.
Gallavich Lovefest An event to show some appreciation for our favorite fics, fanarts, videos, etc and to shine some new light over fanworks that you think deserve more love.
Shameless Big Bang A challenge for the amazing authors and artists in the Shameless fandom, where authors get a few months to write at least 20,000 words of fanfiction in the Shameless US fandom.
Galladrabbles Writers' community. 100 words exactly. A different prompt each week. 
Gallacrafts A regular crafting challenge based on a different theme each month.
Spicy Gallavich Collab An annual challenge to encourage creators to write and draw more smut in a collaborative process.
Shameless Creators Network A network of digital/visual content creators for Shameless: all characters, all seasons, all experience levels!
Gallavich NaNoWriMo A blog for sharing information and tips, as well as inspiration during Preptober and National Writing Month of November.
Gallavich Gift Exchange An event for gallavich content creators to request and create fics, art, or other edits for each other.
== Further Reading & Meta ==
==== General Information ====
Ian Gallagher Shameless Wiki
Mickey Milkovich Shameless Wiki
List of every Gallavich Kiss
==== Meta ====
Gallavichmeta - a tumblr blog for discussion and analysis of meta
==== Articles ====
Inside TV’s Most Wonderfully Unique Gay Relationship
The Best-Written Gay Couple on Television Is Hiding on a Guilty-Pleasure Show
Mickey Milkovich: A Character Analysis of Shameless’ Best Piece of Southside Trash
‘Shameless’: 7 Times Gallavich Proved to Be One of TV’s Most Enduring Couples
==Archives & Links==
* Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich works on Ao3
==References==
Category:Shameless
Category:Slash Pairings