HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

05 | self awareness is hard

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"YOU SURE SHE SAID she's gonna drive you?" Lip questioned, arms crossed as he stared at Ian. The rest of them were gathered together in the living room, dead silent. Today was the day Ian was supposed to be placed behind bars, and Fi had promised to drive him, but didn't show. Amara had a pit of worry in her stomach, Fiona would never just ditch.

"Still going to voicemail," Debbie announced, shaking her head.

"How about Uncle Kev drives you?" Kev offered from the chair he and Veronica were sharing. Ian looked up from his phone and nodded. "I'll go get my truck."

They crammed together in the vehicle. Amara's worry for Fiona grew as they traveled—but the sadness in her gut for Ian was larger when they pulled up to the jail. She was really, really going to miss her best friend. The one person that had been there for her when nobody else was. The only person she knew would never judge her, for anything.

And as they climbed out of the car, Amara was already crying.

"All right," Ian sighed, looking around at them. "I, uh... thought Geneva and some of others would be here."

Carl was the first to embrace him. "You can only count on family, dude."

Debbie and Silvia were next. Then Liam, and in the end, they group hugged. Kevin broke away, the rest of them followed in suite. "Don't get too raped in there, all right?"

"Kevin!" V smacked his stomach.

"I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I don't know what to say in these situations."

"How about 'bye' and 'I love you?'"

"Bye, man," Kevin nodded. "I love you."

Ian managed a small smile. "I love you guys, too." He glanced to Lip, and started towards him. "Hey, uh... Thanks for being my brother."

Lip shrugged, and then hugged him. "Never had a choice."

Ian turned to her next, and reached for her hand, she was surprised when she felt something cold slip into her palm. "Use this for good measure, alright?"

"What is-"

He closed her hand shut. "Just do it, okay?"

She bit her lip and nodded, Ian looked hesitant to go, and held onto her fingers until he couldn't no longer. She watched as he disappeared behind the fence line, and into the building with a heavy heart. And he was gone.

☆

There was a consistent beeping the following night that made Amara stir in Lip's arms, who tightened his hold around her before jolting upright in the bed. Amara smacked her head against the wall and rubbed her eyes sleepily as one of the boys flicked on a light. "What the fuck?" Lip demanded, stepping out of the room. Amara rose to her feet and trailed warily behind him.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Carl mumbled.

"Smoke?" Debbie asked, coming from her own room. "Does anyone smell smoke?"

"It's not the smoke alarm," Carl shielded his eyes from the brightness the hall was suddenly brought into.

"Fuck, is it a bomb?" Amara wondered.

Lip scowled at her while she grinned. "It's not a bomb. Fuck, where is that sound coming from?"

Amara's gaze landed on the attic entrance above them, and she nudged Lip in the ribs, gesturing to the ceiling. He nodded and moved to adjust the ladder, steadying it before climbing up. They watched, intrigued. Lip started laughing abruptly, and came back down, showing them an alarm clock with a picture of Ian on it, a sticky note attached that read: Miss me yet?