HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

01 | piss, corpse, and alcohol

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"GET YOUR ASS UP," Amara chucked another pillow at Lip's face, who groaned and rolled over onto his other side. She'd already been up for an hour deep cleaning the bathroom (yet again, it never seemed to run out of dust) and didn't feel like dealing with Freddy just yet. "It's your turn anyway. I got him last-"

She was cut off by the sound of her own yelp as Lip shot out his arm and caught her around the waist, pulling her into the bed, right on top of him. "Shut up, before I make you."

Amara rolled her eyes and climbed off him, tugging the covers with her as she did so. "I pushed that little shit out of me for twelve hours and carried him for nine months. You owe me for, like, the rest of his life."

"Fine," Lip grunted, rubbing a hand over his face and eyeing her once he was done. "Don't tell me you're stress cleaning."

She paused on arranging the things on their dresser, and glanced back at him. "No. Why would I be stress cleaning?"

"Because this is your first day back at work that isn't on a computer?"

Amara turned back around and pretended she hadn't heard him. Things between them had gone back to normal like they always did, it was impossible for a bond like that to be broken, apparently. She honestly had thought their last fight was going to be the end of them, and she hated to admit that he was right about renting the house. It was perfect for their small family. She really had only been mad that he'd done it behind her back. At least she got to use it against him whenever they argued, so there was that.

Their bedroom was the only room fully completed so far. The walls had been inspected for mold and repainted a classic white. The floors had been shined and no longer looked like they were rotted. The kitchen and bathroom were close to done, the only thing wrong with both was the ugly colored cabinets and the toilet that was difficult to flush.

"I need you to get milk and some more baby food," she said, changing the subject, watching Lip pull on a shirt (much to her disappointment). "And those rugs I ordered should be delivered today, so make sure you're here so they don't get stolen off the porch. And I won't be home until after five so you're going to have to figure out something for dinner."

Lip briefly left the room to grab Freddie, who was still wailing, and came back with him in his arms. "What're you in the mood for?"

Amara pulled her hair up and shrugged. "Anything that's not pasta again. Here, give me him. You make breakfast and I'll get him fed."

Lip cocked his head to the side. "Think he'll be able to eat pancakes?"

Amara stuck her finger in Fred's mouth, and he bit it almost immediately. She looked back to her boyfriend with a wince. "Oh, yeah. He definitely can. Those suckers are sharp."

☆

Amara stopped by the Alibi on her way home. She felt like an imposter wearing the formal clothes she had on after so long. She spent months pulling on a blazer and sitting at her desk in pajama pants. But it felt nice to be out in the real world again, even if she barely interacted with anyone the entire day. It was strange, too. Not having Lip or Freddie by her side for eight hours made her feel like she was missing a part of her.

She entered through the gym—Kev grinned at her as he recognized who she was. "You don't even look like you with that mask," he said once she was close enough.

"I know," she nodded towards the direction of the bar. "V said she had some goodies? I need something after today."

"Ah," Kevin put down the keg he was holding. "First day back?"

"Yeah. It fucking sucked. I think I actually prefer Zoom."

He sighed and patted her shoulder. "Sorry, kid. But yeah, V made up a lot of stuff over the weekend. Help yourself. Well, don't actually help yourself. We still gotta make you pay."

Amara snorted. "Yeah, I figured. Thanks."

"Hey, girl!" Veronica grinned at her as she stepped in. "How've you been? Haven't seen you much lately. Everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Lip and I are fine. The house hasn't collapsed in on us yet, too. So that's a plus. Gimmie one of those brownies."

Veronica slid the item over to her and Amara flipped out a five. "When's the last time you slept? You're looking like a raccoon again."

"Ha. Ha."

"I'm serious. You better not be overworking yourself.  I'll lecture that man of yours for letting you do that to yourself. He better be taking good care of you."

"He is."

"So no overworking yourself? You remind me so much of Fi in that way."

"I'm good, Veronica. Freddie's just teething, that's all. He's in so much pain all he does is cry. I feel so bad that I can't do anything to help him."

"He'll be fine, honey, they always are," Veronica accepted the money. "Your sister was in here earlier. She's real quiet now, you know?"

"I know. She's alone in that apartment all the time."

"Margot still not back?"

"Nope," Amara sighed and pulled her water bottle away from her mouth. "I really thought she was better. Then that junk lord showed up out of the blue and everything started again."

"Margot?" Frank asked, speaking for the first time since she'd gotten there. "Like your mother?"

"What other Margot is there, Frank?"

"No, no. I just saw her the other day. She's been hanging around that old deli down on Eleventh."

"Well it's not the first time she's pretended we don't exist," Amara shrugged, stuffing the brownie she'd just bought into her pocket. "I'm just worried for Silvia. All she does is work at that bookstore to pay for art school, Carl said she hardly even texts him, too."

"They a thing yet?"

"No, they're both too pussy to actually make a move."

"Sounds familiar," Veronica mused, smirking at her. Amara flipped her the bird and stood. "Just like someone kids I knew."

"Okay, well, I wouldn't want to date an officer in training anyway. Who knew Carl was gonna be the traitor and become a cop? I thought it'd be Debbie."

"Don't tell her that," Kevin said. "Fucking insulting."

Amara laughed and started towards the exit. "We should have dinner at my place once the dining room is done. I don't think we've properly had a family event in so long."

"I'll be there," Frank said.

"Bold of you to assume you were invited."

"I never liked you," he announced. "Always so bitchy."

"I don't want your stench in my carpet. My entire house would smell like piss, corpse, and alcohol. Sorry not sorry. Bye!"

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a/n

decided to bring back the gifs since it's the final season:)