Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 39. Shouldn't Be Together

The family dynamic had become painfully awkward ever since the fight between the men of the household. As everyone sat around the table eating breakfast, the room was thick with silence. Ian, Mickey, Debbie, and Liam occasionally glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, the couple at the center of it all quietly ate their food, not saying a word to each other.

"So..." Mickey finally broke the silence. "You two fighting?"

"Yep." Lip answered flatly, his eyes still locked on his plate.

"Is it about the whole clinic thing?" Ian asked cautiously.

"Yes." Y/N replied without hesitation.

"Shouldn't you... talk about it?" Debbie suggested, trying to sound hopeful.

"I said what I said." Lip muttered before taking a sip of his water.

"Me too." Y/N added, keeping his tone calm but firm.

And with that, the rest of breakfast was filled with nothing but the clinking of forks and chewing. Neither of them brought up the fight, each convinced they were right, leaving the rest of the family to awkwardly tiptoe around the tension in the air.

-

Back at college, Lip tried to distract himself from the fight. As he sat through class, he focused on preparing for the upcoming exams, forcing himself to stay engaged.

He took detailed notes, determined to study once he got home. Still, the weight of everything going on at home crept into his thoughts. Every now and then, a tired sigh escaped him—an audible reminder that his problems weren't as far away as he wished they were.

-

Back home, after receiving another mission from his brothers, Y/N found himself in need of a backup partner—and, if he was honest, someone to vent to. He walked over to the living room, where Mickey was slouched on the couch.

"Got nothing to do tonight?" Y/N asked.

"Watchin' TV." Mickey replied, lazily pointing at the screen, which was playing some kind of true-crime show.

"So... that's a no. I've got another job. Need to plant a bug in some shady nightclub. Same split as last time. You in?"

Mickey gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sure thing."

"Good. I'm heading to the store."

As Y/N turned to grab his things, Mickey called out, "Can you buy beer for once?"

"No. You know that." Y/N said flatly.

"Could've tried." Mickey muttered.

-

Before going to the store, Y/N made a stop at the Alibi. Feeling like he needed advice on how to handle the fight with Lip, he figured Kev was the best person to talk to. Once inside the bar, he parked the buggy next to him and sat down. The older brother noticed his brother immediately, sensing something was wrong.

"Hey. How're you?" Kev asked.

"Shit." Y/N muttered. "And I blame Frank. Have you seen him? My lawyer wants to talk to him."

"Haven't seen him since I threatened to beat his ass." Kev shrugged. "He made some crack about you that pissed me off. I made it clear he's not welcome here anymore. He's probably passed out in some other bar."