Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 54. End Of A School Life

Inside the abandoned apartment building, Lip finds himself standing there again. The smell of gasoline still clings to him, and the desperate crying of Fred echoes in his ears. A few rooms away, he can see his son. When he tries to walk toward him, flames erupt, forming a massive wall between them.

Desperation fills him as he tries to reach his son, but the fire only grows higher and higher. He looks back—Fred is crying in agony. Tears stream down Lip's face as he shouts.

"FRED! FRED! FRED!"

"Lip!"

Suddenly, Lip opens his eyes to see Y/N's face above him. Panting heavily, the blonde looks around, remembering he's in his room. Everything is fine in reality—but what happened still haunts him.

"Are you alright?"

"Y–Yeah..." Lip quietly replies, glancing back at his boyfriend, anxious.

Y/N can't help but feel concerned. Just when things had started to look brighter, Frank pulled off the worst scheme imaginable. Though it ended with Frank's arrest and pending trial, Lip still suffers from the trauma.

"Do you want a pill?"

Lip stays silent for a moment. "Yes... please..."

-

With Lip having nightmares again, his visits to his therapist have become harder to get through. Even though he's been going for a while, he still isn't used to talking about his feelings with a professional. Still, he knows he has to face it, however hard it is.

"They're about the fire. That night with Frank. Every time I sleep, I'm back in that building. It's like I'm reliving the moment over and over—the heat, the smoke... trying to get Fred out. I can still feel it. Sometimes I don't make it... and I'm just leaving my family behind. In the worst ones, Fred doesn't make it."

Mrs. Owens gives him a sympathetic look. "That sounds incredibly traumatic. Your mind is trying to process what happened, but it's stuck in that moment. The trauma you experienced—especially with the threat to your children—has left a deep impact."

"Yeah... I guess." Like in previous sessions, Lip moves his hands nervously. "But it's not just the nightmares. I'm almost done with my internship at Ironworks Robotics, and I should be focusing on what's next after I graduate. But I'm just... I don't know, lost."

"It's understandable. You've been through so much, and the uncertainty about your future is adding to your stress. You've had so many responsibilities on your shoulders—your children, the trauma with Frank, your relationship with Y/N, your sobriety—and now, as you approach graduation, the pressure is mounting."

"I'm supposed to be looking forward to graduating, right?" Lip can't help how he feels; even though he should be happy, he just feels like shit. "But instead, all I can think about is... what if I fail? What if I can't provide for my kids? And these nightmares, they just make it worse. I feel like I'm not in control."

"You're dealing with a lot, Lip. But it's important to remember that you don't have to face all of this alone. We can work on strategies to manage your nightmares and reduce your anxiety about the future. It's okay to feel uncertain—and it's okay to ask for help."

"I just... I don't want to disappoint anyone. Especially Y/N. He's been through a lot, too, and I feel like I'm supposed to be the strong one."

"It's a common feeling, but strength isn't about never showing vulnerability. It's about facing these challenges head-on, just like you're doing now. Let's talk about some ways we can help you feel more in control. We can explore techniques to cope with your nightmares and discuss your fears about the future."