Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 61. Tension Between The Couples

Every night, as Lip puts the children to bed, he makes sure to give each of them the proper time before they fall asleep. Whether it's singing a lullaby, saying something comforting, or telling a bedtime story, he makes sure to give attention to each one. Even with six children, he does his best. From youngest to oldest, this is the order the dad uses to put them to bed.

Now with his last child, Lip holds a book, gently reading the bedtime story as Mikhail closes his eyes.

"And then, the young prince returned home as a strong knight. Having slaughtered the dragon, he saved the kingdom from doom. From the roads of the forest to the bustling cities, crowds cheered for the young prince. However, despite all of his pride, there was one thing on the prince's mind—"

"Stop fucking bullshitting!"

Lip frowns, and Mikhail opens his eyes when they hear another argument coming from Ian and Mickey.

"You're the one who's working all the damn time!" Mickey snaps.

"Well, I'm sorry if I want enough money to get an apartment!" Ian shouts back. "Maybe if you had a proper job, I wouldn't work so damn much!"

"Oh, so it's my fault now?!"

"Both of you, shut up!" Lip shouts across the hall. "I'm trying to put my child to sleep!"

He returns his gaze back to Mikhail, who looks sleepily at him.

"I'm sorry. You probably get tired of Uncle Ian and Mickey yelling all the time."

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Lip sighs, disappointed that his children are growing up in a household where arguing feels normal. While it's better than his own childhood, he still doesn't feel it's good enough for his kids.

"How about I finish the story?" Lip says, returning to the book. Mikhail holds his blanket a little closer.

"However, despite all of his pride, there was one thing on the prince's mind. And that was the beautiful princess. With the blessing of the king and queen, they held a wedding and lived a long and wonderful life. With the children they would have, a family was created that would live happily ever after. The end."

Closing the book, he leans in to kiss his son's forehead. "Goodnight, Mik. Love you."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I got a mom?"

Lip freezes for a moment, surprised by the question. As he tries to think of the right answer, he responds with a question of his own. "Why are you asking?"

"Everyone has a dad and a mom in the stories. Why don't I got one?"

"Uhh..."

Lip isn't sure he's ready to explain the birds and the bees, especially since almost all of the children have different moms, and only half of them share the same dad.

"That's because you have two dads." He says, trying to keep his tone gentle and reassuring. "Some people have one dad. Some have one mom. Some have one dad and one mom. And you have two dads."

"Then why does every story have a mom and a dad?"

Lip looks down at the book. He realizes that there really aren't many children's stories about single parents or same-sex parents. It must be strange for a child to see something in every story that doesn't match his own life.

"Well... I just haven't told you those kinds of stories yet. How about next time, I tell you a story about someone who has two dads?"

"Okay."