HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

07 | pride and prejudice

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"YOU STILL HAVEN'T TOLD me what I didn't say," Amara murmured, absentmindedly stroking Lip's cheek with the pad of her thumb as the two of them continued to lay in bed. It was oddly silent at the Gallagher house, which surprisingly, wasn't that odd anymore. The new normal there was quiet, or maybe it was because it was still only eight am. She watched as he cracked open his eyes to look at her.

"I think you know."

She raised a brow. "Do I now?"

"Yeah," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're smart."

"Oh, so you're not just with me for my hot body?"

"Nah, that's definitely the major thing. So why didn't you reply?"

"Probably because I was asleep when you said it, genius," she smirked at him. "And partially because..." Amara sighed and shifted her gaze to the wall behind him. "It's not that I don't. I do. But saying it when it's not platonically," she shrugged. "I don't know."

"Does it scare you?"

"Nothing scares me," she said, and he shot her a look. "Not when I'm with you- jeez, you never let me finish before you give me those faces."

"Well even if you're not ready to say it," he leaned forward to kiss her. "I still want you to hear it. You know, actually, I was gonna wait to say it in the rain."

Amara bursted out laughing. "What?!"

Lip was grinning and he kicked her leg from under the covers. "Yeah, like from that one movie you love. Pride and Prejudice? You always said you wanted a love confession in the rain. I remember when we were, like, seven, and you told me that, I made this whole plan in my head to tell you when we were older. It had to be raining. Young me would be so disappointed."

She was still snickering. "I think as long as it's from you I don't care if it's down-pouring or not."

He rolled onto her fully, making her grunt out a laugh, but it faded as he met her mouth again, bringing her into a slow kiss. He deepened it slightly, parting her lips with his tongue, Amara's hands cupped either side of his cheeks as if somehow pulling him closer. "Mar."

She pulled back expectedly. "Lip."

He moved to kiss right under her jaw. "I'm gonna say it."

She fought off a smile. "Okay... Hurry up before you ruin the moment with your jackass-ness."

He rose slightly off her with his elbows, "now you just ruined it. You have to... tell me five things you like about me or I won't say it."

"Five?" She echoed, and he nodded. "Well thats a lot. And it's hard. You have only one good quality."

"Which is?"

She smiled wickedly. "Your girlfriend."

Lip huffed and flopped back next to her. "I feel like you would date yourself if you could."

"Like Jackie Burkhart said, if I could run across the beach into my own arms, I would. But I guess you're good, too."

"Love when you talk like that."

"You'll love it even more when in two seconds I tell you to move because I have to piss."

☆

"I really think you should try talking to Fiona," Amara said, watching as Veronica moved around the kitchen. Lip silently drank his coffee from the seat next to her. "She always listens to you."

"I love her, I really to," V told them. "But Fi is in a bad place right now, and sometimes you just need to let people mope to get their feelings done and over with before you intervene. If it gets worse, tell me, though."

"She thought she was a mermaid last night," Lip finally chimed in. "It was three in the morning, and she was just sitting in a lawn chair, laughing into our backyard."

"What're we talking about?" Kev asked, coming into the area where they were seated. "Who is a mermaid? God, I love mermaids."

"We're trying to get V to talk to Fiona," Amara informed as he sat down.

Kevin perked up. "Oh, yeah, baby you totally should. I mean, that bruise along her eye is worse than the one Joe gave Mara."

And just like that, her insides chilled as she glanced to Lip, who was already staring at her, looking murderous. He didn't break his gaze. "What did you say?"

"He said that Joe mama is so dumb she waited for a stop sign to say go," Amara said quickly. "That's exactly what you said, isn't it Kev?"

"Oh, shit," Kevin breathed. "Man, I really cannot keep secrets."

Veronica was shaking her head from the kitchen, Lip abruptly stood and walked out of the house. Amara groaned and grabbed the jacket he'd left behind, before grabbing her own and following after him. She tugged it on and pulled the hood over her head when she stepped outside—it was raining.

"Lip!" She yelled, chasing behind him. "Lip, stop! What are you even doing?"

"I'm gonna fucking kill him," Lip replied, yanking his hand out of her grip, she moved to clutch his arm again. "Let go."

"I really appreciate the thought, but incase you haven't noticed Joe skipped town months ago and hasn't been heard from since. How will you even find him?"

He threw his hands up. "Fuck, I don't know, okay?! But he can't just- he can't just walk around free. It's happened too many times for him to just get away with it. And I'm old enough to deal with his ass now like I wished I could've years ago. Jesus, why didn't you fucking tell me?!"

"Uh, because I knew you'd react like this?" She retorted, shooting him a patient look. "Besides, why do you care anyway? It happened forever ago and there's nothing you can do to-"

"Why do I care?" He interrupted. "Did you seriously just fucking ask me that?"

"Well I didn't mean it like-"

"I care because you are my fucking girlfriend, it's my job! And screw not being able to do anything about it, no," he shook his head. "No. I have sat by for years and watched you come over with bruises on your face, and I was completely powerless against it, and so was everybody else. But I'm not anymore. And I'm not going to let that asshole hurt you again if he does come back, because I love you and nobody hurts the people I love."

He was rambling so quickly and breathing so heavily that Amara didn't even think he realized what he said until a moment later, she took one look at their drenched clothing and started to laugh.

Lip glared at her. "There's nothing funny about this."

She patted his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "Looks like you got to live out your rain love confession plan after all. Pride and Prejudice really was a cultural reset."

Lip blinked as if just now coming to terms with what spewed from his mouth. "Fuck me."

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a/n

DRAMATIC RAIN CONFESSION I SAY