Gallavich
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Ian Gallagher/ Mickey Milkovich |
| Alternative name(s): | Gallavich |
| Gender category: | M/M |
| Fandom: | Shameless (US) |
| Canonical?: | Yes |
| Prevalence: | Very Popular, Ranked 44th on AO3 (2019) |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
| Needs Less Canon: This article includes too much canon information for the amount of fannish content given. Please add fannish context or remove unneeded trivia. Although a brief overview of canon is welcome, the focus of every page should be about the fandom; canon details are important if they can be associated with a particular fannish activity, fanwork, or fannish event. See What Fanlore is not for more information. |
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.
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:
Notable Fanfiction
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace by 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 by 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 by 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 by spoonfulstar another college au (Currently the longest fanfiction in the Gallavich fandom)
Cooperative Gameplay by 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. ♥️
Africa by IanGalager When Ian lands himself an internship with famous wildlife photographer Mickey Milkovich he can't believe his luck. Spending one month traveling through South Africa with his big hero is a dream come true. The two are off on a wild adventure but there's something mysterious about Mickey who seems to be holding more to his chest than just the tricks of the trade Ian had hoped to learn from him.
Teenage Dirtbag by macymacymacy The year is 1999. Ian Gallagher is 17 and co-captain of the Lincoln Grove High School cheer squad alongside his best friend Mandy Milkovich. When Mandy’s older brother Mickey is released from jail after serving a year for possession, they re-form their family band “Spilled Milk” with their older brothers Iggy and Colin. Ian starts tagging along after cheer practice to watch Mandy and her brothers rehearse, and quickly finds himself falling for the blue-eyed, tattooed, perpetually grumpy guitarist.
Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot by 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.
The Menagerie by CrossMyDNA Ian Gallagher loves his life, finally. He’s happy. He’s happy… but. But there’s something missing. Some itch under his skin that he can’t quite scratch through work or hobbies or family gatherings or casual hookups. Until he finds himself splurging on a membership to an exclusive BDSM club and meeting the notoriously hard-to-please club veteran, Mikhailo Milkovich.
Like Real People Do by 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 by 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 by 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.
Meet Me at the Track by dancermk Mickey is on a athletic scholarship at Texas A&M and finally away from Terry - free to do as he pleases. Training at the track one Sunday afternoon, he spots a sexy red-haired hurdler who is distracting as all fuck!
How to Bag a Baddie by 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.
you are inked on my skin long before we begin by 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.
7 simple rules by 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 by 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.
Notable Fanfiction Authors
Notable Fan Artists
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.
Gallavich FicClub A fan club for reading and discussing Gallavich fan fiction
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
Mickey Milkovich Shameless Wiki
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